Acute liver failure

Acute liver failure is a rare disorder with high mortality and resource cost. In the developing world, viral causes predominate, with hepatitis E infection recognised as a common cause in many countries. In the USA and much of western Europe, the incidence of virally induced disease has declined substantially in the past few years, with most cases now arising from drug-induced liver injury, often from paracetamol. However, a large proportion of cases are of unknown origin. Acute liver failure can be associated with rapidly progressive multiorgan failure and devastating complications; however, outcomes have been improved by use of emergency liver transplantation. An evidence base for practice is emerging for supportive care, and a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the disorder, especially in relation to hepatic encephalopathy, will probably soon lead to further improvements in survival rates.

Nucleosome serum levels in acute hepatic failure and MARS treatment

Serum nucleosomes have been suggested to be markers for cell death and apoptosis. Increased hepatocyte apoptosis can be demonstrated in acute liver failure (ALF) as well as acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). We investigated the relevance of nucleosomes in the setting of acute hepatic failure. Further, we studied the effects of the molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) on this marker of cell death. We measured serum nucleosome concentrations with ELISA in 12 patients with ACLF and 7 patients suffering from ALF, with 14 patients experiencing stable chronic hepatic failure (CHF) as controls. In a subset of 8 ACLF and ALF patients treated with MARS, nucleosomes were determined immediately before and after the first MARS session. Baseline nucleosome serum concentrations were significantly increased in ACLF and ALF patients as compared with CHF patients (P = .0161 and P = .0037, respectively). There was no significant difference between the ALF and ACLF groups. Moreover, serum nucleosome levels did not change significantly during MARS treatment in ALF and ACLF patients. Serum nucleosome levels therefore may be useful to discern acute from chronic hepatic failure or to monitor the course and the severity of the disease. Our results, however, warrant further larger clinical studies regarding the clearance of nucleosome in artificial liver-assist devices and to assess their role in acute hepatic failure.

Results of treatment of acute liver failure patients with use of the prometheus FPSA system

OBJECTIVE

Herein we have presented the results of treatment of acute liver failure (ALF) patients with the use of the Prometheus FPSA dialysis system.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To January 2009, we performed 278 FPSA procedures in 114 patients, including 52 experience and ALF. The patients who underwent the FPSA procedure consisted of 32 women and 20 men of overall mean age of 33 +/- 12 years. The causes of ALF were: Wilson's disease (n = 15), unknown origin ALF (n = 11), amanita phalloides intoxication (n = 7), paracetamol intoxication (n = 8), acute hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (n = 7), liver insufficiency after parenchymal resection (n = 2) drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome (n = 1), rabdomyolysis (n = 1), or primary nonfunction (PNF) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) (n = 1). All procedures were performed using the Prometheus 4008H Fresenius Medical Care liver support system. The average number of treatments per patient was 2.41 and the average time for each FPSA treatment was 6.3 hours. The average heparin dose used during the procedure was 750 IU/h.

RESULTS

After the whole treatment regimen, we observed significant improvements in the biochemical results. The average concentrations improved: serum ammonia (before 249.2 mug/dL versus after 109.7 mug/dL); serum bilirubin (before 21.53 mg/dL versus after 8.81 mg/dL), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST; before 2456.4 U/L versus after 1068.8 U/L); serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT; before 2958.2 U/L versus after 1595.8 U/L); serum urea (before 58.5 mg/dL versus after 21.1 mg/dL); serum creatinine (before 2.9 mg/dL versus after 1.7 mg/dL); and pH value (before 7.11 versus after 7.32). After Prometheus treatment OLT was performed in 33 patients. Among the 28 who survived (53.8%), 22 underwent OLT and 6 did not have OLT. Among the 24 patients who died (46.2%), 13 were before OLT and 11 after OLT.

CONCLUSION

The Prometheus 4008H Fresenius Medical Care Liver support system was useful method of detoxification for patients with ALF, serving as an element of pretransplantation care.

Pediatric liver transplantation for acute liver failure at a single center: a 10-yr experience

Children transplanted for ALF urgently require an optimal graft and have lower post-transplant survival compared with children transplanted for chronic liver disease. Over 10 yr, 33 consecutive children transplanted for ALF were followed. Demographics, encephalopathy, intubation, dialysis, laboratory values, graft type ABOI, XL (GRWR > 5%), DDSLT, LDLT and WLT were evaluated. Complications and survival were determined. ALF accounted for 33/201 (16.4%) of transplants during this period. Twelve of 33 received ABOI, five XL grafts, 18 DDSLT, and three LDLT. Waiting time pretransplant was 2.1 days. One- and three-yr patient survival in the ALF group was 93.4% and 88.9%, and graft survivals were 86.4% and 77.7%. Median follow-up was 1452 days. ABOI one- and three yr patient and graft survival in the ALF was 91.6% and 78.6%. No difference in graft or patient survival was noted in the ALF and chronic liver disease group or the ABOI and the ABO compatible group. A combination of ABO incompatible donor livers, XL grafts, DDSLT, LDLT and WLT led to a short wait time and subsequent graft and patient survival comparable to patients with non-acute disease.

Current state of Wilson disease patients in central Japan

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the current state of patients with Wilson disease in central Japan.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 1999 and 2007, 30 patients were diagnosed as having Wilson disease with an International Diagnostic Score of 4 or more. The phenotypes, genotypes and post-diagnostic courses of these patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

Twenty-six patients had ATP7B mutations responsible for Wilson disease. Four patients had a single mutant chromosome. There were 2 major mutations of 2333 G>T and 2871 delC (40%), and 6 novel mutations (13%) in our patients. The first clinical manifestation was the hepatic form in 22, neurological form in 5, and hemolysis in 3 patients. The hepatic form was diagnosed around the age of 13 years, followed by neurological complication with a time lag of 9 years. Thus, some patients, especially patients with the neurological form, did not undergo early diagnostic tests including ATP7B analysis. During the post-diagnosis period, 3 patients were hospitalized for recurrent liver disease, and 2 patients committed suicide. One female patient died from acute hepatic failure associated with encephalopathy after fertilization therapy, while 2 male patients recovered from encephalopathy-free, prolonged hepatic failure after noncompliance with drug therapy. The King's Scores for liver transplantation were below the cut-off in both cases.

CONCLUSION

To minimize delayed diagnosis, ceruloplasmin determination and ATP7B analysis may be recommended to patients showing hepatic damage of unknown etiology. At gene diagnosis, appropriate management of patients including compliance education and emotional care to prevent suicide might be important.

[Features of clinical evolution of severe acute viral hepatitis. Series of 72 cases]

The fulminant hepatic failure is a dramatic complication of acute viral hepatitis. Despite therapeutical efforts, the mortality of these forms of acute hepatitis is rated in most studies from 60 to 90%.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

We made a retrospective study that included 2014 patients hospitalized at the Bacau County Hospital from January 1996 to December 2005 with the diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis. Among these, 72 patients presented severe forms of hepatitis.

RESULTS

13 patients presented fulminant hepatic failure. In most cases, etiology was represented by the B-type virus (66.7%). Defining for the fulminant form of hepatitis are the Quick index under 50%, the increase of total serum bilirubine and the leucocitosis associated with neutrophilia.

CONCLUSIONS

Mortality in fulminant forms of hepatitis was of 61.5%, respectively 75% in the case of the B-type viral hepatitis. Key words: SEVERE

[Acute on chronic liver failure]

Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF) is a recently introduced term defined as severe acute deterioration of an established liver disease. This entity usually develops after an acute insult. The main clinical manifestations are hepatorenal syndrome, hepatic encephalopathy and organ failure, with a high risk of death in the short term. The true incidence of ACLF remains difficult to determine due to confusions surrounding the definition of this entity, but seems to be 40% at 5 years in patients with advanced cirrhosis, which translates into 4,000 cases in Europe within this time span. The treatment of choice is liver transplantation. However, due to the shortage of suitable organs and morbidity and mortality in these patients, other options must be used.

[The approaches for making acute-on-chronic liver failure in rat]

OBJECTIVE

To study the approaches for making acute-on-chronic hepatic failure model in rat.

METHODS

SD rats were intraperitoneally injected with 50% CCl4 (Carbon tetrachloride) olive solution every three days for 6 or 10 weeks. Then they were divided into two groups randomly and injected with D-galactosamine (D-gal) at a dose of 2 g/kg, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a dose of 100 pg/kg and D-gal at a dose of 0.5 g/kg BW respectively. The levels of serum ALT, AST and TBil were detected,and histopathological changes were observed to evaluate these two models.

RESULTS

After injection of 50% CCl4 olive solution intraperitoneally for 6 weeks, liver fibrosis happened in SD rats, 10 weeks, cirrhosis happened. Pelleta necrosis and massive or submassive necrosis was seen administration of two reagents mentioned above.

CONCLUSION

By injecting of 50% CCl4 olive solution intraperitoneally, acute-on-chronic liver failure model could be induced by D-gal, LPS/D-gal in rats.

Natural course of fulminant hepatic failure: the scenario in Bangladesh and the differences from the west

BACKGROUND/AIM

Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a devastating complication of acute viral hepatitis, leading to death in most cases. The etiology and predictors of outcome differ according to the geographical region. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the etiology, complications, and outcome of FHF in Bangladesh.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this prospective study, we included 67 consecutive cases of FHF presenting to the Department of Hepatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, between November 2003 and May 2008. Thirty-nine of the patients were male and 28 were female. Data was analyzed using SPSS, version 13.0.

RESULTS

The mean age of the subjects was 31.9 +/- 11 .7 years. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) was the commonest etiological factor for FHF (50 cases, 74.6%); of the 50 cases with HEV infection, 43 (64.2%) were not coinfected with any other virus, four cases were Hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers, and three had coinfection with hepatitis A virus (HAV). HBV was the cause of FHF in nine (13.4%) patients. HCV, paracetamol, and alcohol were not responsible for any of the cases. Most of the patients (57 patients, 85%) developed FHF within 2 weeks of the onset of jaundice. Of the 67 patients, 49 (73.1%) died. Cerebral edema was the single most common cause of death (48 patients, 71.6%). Other complications were renal failure (23 patients, 34.3%), sepsis (15 patients, 22.4%), electrolyte imbalance (12 patients 17.9%), and bleeding tendency (7 patients, 10.4%). Occurrence of cerebral edema, longer prothrombin time, higher grade of encephalopathy, and longer jaundice-to-encephalopathy interval had significant negative influence on outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

The etiology of FHF in Bangladesh is different from that in the West. Prolongation of prothrombin time and occurrence of cerebral edema are predictors of the worst prognosis.

[Poisonings with Amanita phalloides]

Amanita phalloides is the most dangerous, poisonous mushroom species in our climatic conditions. It is the cause of 90-95% of all deaths due to mushroom poisoning, a-Amanitin, a polymerase RNA II inhibitor, is mainly responsible for the Amanita phalloides toxic property. Inhibition of polymerase RNA II functioning in a transcription process is connected with inhibition biosynthesis of structural and enzymatic proteins in cells. A lethal dose of a-amanitin is 0.1 mg/kg b.w. for humans. One of the medical problems in Amanita phalloides poisonings is a relatively prolonged latency period (8-24 h) from mushroom ingestion, at the same time the cytotropic action of absorbed toxins is revealed. In severe cases, multi organ failure, renal and hepatitis failure can occur. Deaths in a-amanitin poising cases follows between 6-16 days after intoxication. Mortality in this group of patients is still high and amounts to approximately 20-30% in adults and exceeds 50% in children. If mushroom poisoning occurs, it is best treated with pharmacological agents, extracorporeal methods for toxin removal and liver transplantation. Recent high expectations concerning liver albumin dialysis (based on MARS) should support liver regeneration and will also help with possible liver transplantation. In a medical community it is generally believed that every suspected Amanita phalloides poisoning should be referred to a specialized health center.

Liver function test results and outcomes in children with acute liver failure due to dengue infection

This retrospective study compared the liver function test results and outcomes between children with acute liver failure (ALF) due to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and due to other causes. We retrospectively reviewed patients less than 15 years old with a diagnosis of ALF admitted to 13 participating centers from different parts of Thailand for the years 2000 and 2001, and those admitted to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital for the year 1997 to 2004. The diagnosis of ALF was based on prothrombin time (PT) prolongation to greater than 2 times the normal control value and the presence of encephalopathy without pre-existing liver disease. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group I (n=16) had DHF with ALF and group II (n=37) had ALF due to other causes. DHF patients had AST levels significantly higher than ALT levels. The mortality rate in group I (50%) was lower than in group II (72.9%), although the difference was not statistically significant. The non-DHF patients who died had a significantly longer duration of jaundice before the onset of encephalopathy and a significantly higher PT ratio compared to survivors. There were no significant differences in the duration of jaundice before the onset of encephalopathy and liver function between dengue patients who died and those who survived.

Pregnancy-associated acute liver disease and acute viral hepatitis: differentiation, course and outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Pregnant women with acute viral hepatitis (VH) and those with pregnancy associated acute liver disease (PAALD) including acute fatty liver disease of pregnancy, hemolysis elevated liver enzyme and low platelet syndrome present with similar clinical features and liver tests abnormalities. Accurate differentiation between the two groups is critical to expedite early delivery in the latter and prevent progressive liver damage. There is scant data in the literature to differentiate between PAALD and VH.

METHODS

We studied the clinical variables, hematological, biochemical and viral serological tests of 87 consecutive pregnant patients with jaundice from 2000 to 2003.

RESULTS

There were 46 and 41 patients in PAALD and VH group, respectively. Two-thirds in VH group were due to hepatitis E. Univariate analysis identified hypertension, encephalopathy, oliguria, ascites, serum creatinine, and low platelets as significantly more common in the PAALD group. Multivariate analysis and recursive partitioning identified hypertension and ascites as predictors of PAALD with excellent predictive ability and c value of 0.92. Mortality was 41% in PAALD and 7.5% in VH. Increased bilirubin and oliguria were predictors of mortality in PAALD.

CONCLUSIONS

Presence of ascites and hypertension differentiates PAALD from VH and should prompt early delivery. Mortality due to hepatitis E is low.

Liver support devices

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Liver support devices are used either as a bridge to liver transplantation or liver recovery in patients with acute or acute-on-chronic liver failure. The review analyzes the recent literature and asks if the current enthusiasm for these devices is justified.

RECENT FINDINGS

Many liver support devices exist and are discussed. Clinical data on artificial devices are rapidly emerging, especially on the molecular adsorbents recirculating system, and fractionated plasma separation and adsorption (Prometheus). While hepatic encephalopathy is improved by the molecular adsorbents recirculating system and probably Prometheus too, neither system has been shown to improve survival. Less clinical data exist for bioartificial support devices. These may use human hepatocytes, such as the extracorporeal liver assist device, although most devices use porcine hepatocytes, such as HepatAssist.

SUMMARY

Enthusiasm in liver support devices is justified as many nonrandomized studies have suggested some biochemical and clinical benefits. The results of several ongoing multicenter randomized controlled trials are anxiously awaited. Meanwhile, because mortality without liver transplantation remains high despite the use of liver support devices, these devices should only be used in the research setting or by experts proficient in their use and as a bridge to liver transplantation rather than liver recovery.

Course and therapy of acute liver failure

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

Despite liver transplantation and advances in intensive care medicine fulminant hepatic failure [FHF] remains a life-threatening condition. Actual observations of the clinical course of these patients are rare. Therefore, we analyzed course of disease and survival in all patients treated for FHF at the University of Bonn between 1998 and 2004 and compared it to the patients treated for FHF during 1992-1997.

RESULTS

35 patients were treated for FHF during this period. FHF was viral induced in 13 patients (HBV n = 11, HAV n = 2), toxic in nine, cryptogenic in eleven and autoimmune and hyperthermia in one patient each. According to London- and/or Clichy criteria 16 patients were transplanted. Four of them died during the first year after transplantation due to infectious and hemorrhagic complications. Three patients died without liver-transplantation. All together, 1-year survival was 80%. When compared to patients with FHF analyzed in the period 1992-1997 numbers of patients with FHF in our centre had increased from 16 to 35 patients and 1-year survival improved from 67.5% to 80%. This improved survival was associated with a lower proportion of transplanted patients (45% versus 68%).

CONCLUSIONS

These changes reflect advances in therapy of patients with FHF, which enables a greater proportion of patients to survive without the need for transplantation.

Acute liver failure in Lithuania

OBJECTIVES

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening condition that can rapidly progress into coma and death due to the cerebral edema and multi-organ dysfunction. The ALF etiology and risk factors have been investigated in West Europe, North America, and Asia; however, there are still no published data about the causes and prognosis of ALF in Central and East European countries. The aim of our study was to analyze the causes, outcomes, and prognostic factors of ALF in patients referred to tertiary care center in Lithuania.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 28 consecutive patients admitted to the tertiary care center (one of two university-level medical centers in Lithuania) over the period of January 1996 and December 2004 and who fulfilled the entry criteria of ALF (presence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and prothrombin international normalized ratio (INR) >1.5) were included into a prospective study.

RESULTS

In our study the most frequent causes of ALF were acute viral hepatitis B (21.4 %), drug-induced hepatitis (21.4%), and indeterminate hepatitis (17.9%); other etiologies included Budd-Chiari syndrome (10.7%), ischemic hepatitis (10.7%), Wilson's disease (7.1%), Amanita phalloides-induced liver damage (3.6%), acute fatty liver of pregnancy (3.6%), and malignant infiltration of the liver (3.6%). Among patients with drug-induced liver injury, only one case of acetaminophen poisoning was diagnosed. Clinical status of 9 persons in all patients with ALF corresponded to criteria for liver transplantation (LT) (one liver transplantation was performed), 6 of them had contraindications, and 13 patients did not fulfill requirements for urgent LT. The patients' survival rate in these groups was 11.1%, 16.7% and 69.2%, respectively. In 27 non-transplanted patients univariate analysis revealed the grade of HE on the day of enrolment, total serum bilirubin, pH, and prothrombin INR as risk factors for death from ALF. Multivariate logistic regressive analysis determined only prothrombin INR >3.24 and serum pH <or=7.29 as independent predictors of lethal outcome in ALF.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute viral hepatitis B, drug-induced liver injury, and indeterminate hepatitis are the main ALF causes in Lithuania. In non-transplanted patients, the main predictors of lethal outcome were severe coagulopathy and metabolic acidosis. Improvement of liver donation system for urgent liver transplantation is essential requirement for amelioration of ALF patient's survival.

Prognostic factors in paediatric acute liver failure

OBJECTIVES

To study the aetiology, outcome and prognostic indicators in children with acute liver failure (ALF).

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective chart review of 210 patients (107 males/103 females; median age: 5.33 years, range: 1-17.4). Patients were followed until discharge (group 1), death (group 2) or liver transplantation (LT; group 3). Data from group 1 were compared to data from the other two groups and King's College criteria were also assessed.

RESULTS

Final diagnoses were: 128 (61%) hepatitis A, 68 (32%) indeterminate and 14 (7%) others. The characteristics of patients who survived (n = 59), died (n = 61) and underwent LT (n = 90) were analysed. In multivariate analysis, prothrombin time and encephalopathy III/IV were the most significant parameters suggesting a high likelihood of death. When King's College criteria were applied on admission in patients with and without transplantation, the positive predictive values were 96% and 95%, and the negative predictive values were 82% and 82%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatitis A is the main cause of ALF in children in Argentina. Advanced encephalopathy and prolonged prothrombin time were significantly associated with death or need for LT. King's College criteria for predicting the outcome of ALF are applicable in children, including those with ALF due to hepatitis A infection.

[Piggy-back liver transplantation in treating acute liver failure patients: a report of 15 cases]

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical significance of piggy-back liver transplantation in treating acute liver failure (ALF).

METHODS

Fifteen ALF patients (13 caused by HBV and 2 with acute Wilson disease) had piggy-back liver transplantations (PBLT) in our hospital from Sept 1999 to Feb 2006. The outcomes of these patients were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

One year survival rate of the 15 patients was 87% (13/15). Excellent outcome was achieved in the 2 acute Wilson disease cases: their corneal Kayser-Fleischer rings disappeared and serum ceruloplasmin levels returned to normal. Among the 15 cases, one died of severe pulmonary infection and another died of multiple organ system failure on the 6th and 11th postoperative days. HBsAg positivity was observed in 13 cases before liver transplantation. Eleven patients survived and later received anti-HBV treatment recommended by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Their HBsAg became negative.

CONCLUSION

Liver transplantation is an effective therapy for ALF and can improve survival rate significantly.

Living donor liver transplantation for acute liver failure: a 10-year experience in a single center

BACKGROUND

Living donor liver transplantation has become an accepted treatment for various terminal liver diseases.

STUDY DESIGN

Forty-two living donor liver transplantations performed for acute liver failure during a 10-year period at Kyushu University Hospital were reviewed.

RESULTS

Causes of liver failure included hepatitis B (n=12), hepatitis C (n=1), autoimmune hepatitis (n=2), Wilson's disease (n=3), and unknown causes (n=24). The graft types were: left lobe (n=33), right lobe (n=8), and lateral segment (n=1). The mean graft volume to standard liver volume ratios were 42.2+/-9.2% in left lobe grafts and 50.5+/-3.9% in right lobe grafts (p < 0.05). Extubation was significantly delayed in grade IV encephalopathy patients (73.7 +/-18.2 hours) compared with patients with other grades (p < 0.01 to grades I and II, p < 0.05 to grade III). All other patients, except one with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, had complete neurologic recovery after transplantation. The 1- and 10-year survival rates were 77.6% and 65.5%, respectively, for grafts, and 80.0% and 68.2%, respectively, for patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes of living donor liver transplantation for acute liver failure are fairly acceptable despite severe general conditions and emergent transplant settings. Living donor liver transplantation is now among the currently accepted life-saving treatments of choice for acute liver failure, although innovative medical treatments for this disease entity are still anticipated.

Fulminant hepatic failure in an African setting: etiology, clinical course, and predictors of mortality

This is prospective cross-sectional study on 37 patients presenting to different hospitals in Khartoum state, Sudan, sought to determine the etiology, clinical course, and predictors of mortality in patients presenting with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). Patients were subclassified into hyperacute, acute, and subacute FHF; all sera were tested for hepatitis A, B, C, and E; negative samples were tested for antinuclear antibodies and anti-smooth muscle antibodies. The commonest etiologic factors included seronegative hepatitis (38%), hepatitis B virus (22%), severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria (8%), autoimmune hepatitis (8%), hepatitis E virus (5%), anti-tuberculous drugs (5%), and lymphomatous infiltration of the liver (5%). The mortality rate was high at 84%. Poor prognostic factors included presentation with grade III/IV encephalopathy, evidence of bacterial infection, and a prolonged prothrombin time of >25 seconds over the controls.

A new surgical model for hepatectomy in pigs

BACKGROUND

Anhepatic animal models are suitable for simulating acute liver failure. Hepatectomy in pigs includes en bloc resection of the vena cava, and therefore, a temporary extracorporeal bypass and total clamping of the inferior vena cava are needed. These steps cause severe depression of circulation with impaired survival.

METHODS

Previous to en bloc hepatectomy including retrohepatic vena cava in 20 female pigs, a Y-shaped bypass was implanted starting with end-to-side anastomosis between the vena cava and the portal vein, followed by anastomosis to the intrathoracic vena cava.

RESULTS

Blood flow was constant during and after hepatectomy because vessels were only partially clamped. No venous stasis of intestinal organs was observed. Hemodynamic parameters like heart rate, mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure, pulse oximetry and intracranial pressure remained extremely stabile during and after hepatectomy. Postoperative survival time was 100% after 12 h. Maximum survival time was 84.9 h and mean survival time 51.2 +/- 18.7 h. All animals died from multiple organ failure. Intracranial pressure remained stable during the surgical procedure and rose continuously until death. The autopsy showed massive brain edema.

CONCLUSIONS

This new surgical technique is safe and easy to perform and permits total hepatectomy with minimal blood loss under stable circulation without requiring an extracorporeal bypass.

Hepatitis A as an etiologic agent of acute liver failure in Latin America

BACKGROUND

This prospective, multicenter study examined the importance of hepatitis viruses as etiological agents of acute liver failure (ALF) and the outcome of ALF cases in Latin American children and adolescents.

METHODS

The study was conducted for minimum 12 months in 9 centers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico during 2001-2002. Hospitalized patients aged 1-20 years with a suspected diagnosis of ALF were included in the study and tested for serologic markers for hepatitis A, B, and C viruses.

RESULTS

Of the 106 patients enrolled, 88 were included in the analysis. Median age was 5 years, and 55% with ALF were aged 1-5 years. A total of 37 individuals (43%) tested positive for anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) immunoglobulin M (IgM) as marker of acute HAV infection; one was positive for anti-hepatitis B core antigen IgM and negative for hepatitis B surface antigen. None had markers of hepatitis C virus infection. Mortality rates in the overall study cohort (45%) and for those who tested anti-HAV IgM positive (41%) were similar. Forty-one percent of all patients and 46% of those positive for anti-HAV IgM underwent transplantation. The mortality rate in those with liver transplantation was half of that in patients who were not transplanted (28% versus 57%).

CONCLUSIONS

HAV was the main etiologic agent of ALF in the population studied.