ABSTRACT
Although liver dysfunction associated with critical illness is common, liver failure is rarely the primary reason for admission to a critical care unit. Severe liver dysfunction is characterized by the failure of the synthetic, metabolic and excretory functions of the liver. Any or all of the functions of the liver may be impaired, depending on the aetiology and duration of the disease process. The principles behind the treatment of acute liver failure (ALF) and acute on chronic liver failure are broadly similar. Liver enzymes and plasma bilirubin are markers of liver disease. Characteristic responses of these markers are shown in Table 10.
