ABSTRACT
Acute liver failure is usually defined as the presence of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with no pre-existing liver failure. The European Association for the Study of the Liver adopts the 1999 classification for acute liver failure: hyperacute, fulminant, and subacute. Paracetamol remains the most common cause of acute liver failure in the UK and USA, although because the liver detoxifies blood it is also susceptible to acute damage from many other drugs, chemicals, viruses and other factors. In the UK, chronic liver disease is usually caused by: alcohol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis B or C, and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Diversity of liver functions is reflected by various tests, including: clotting, bilirubin, albumin, and transaminases. Progressive liver failure causes failure of homeostasis, especially: encephalopathy, gross ascites, hypotension, and haemorrhage. Various devices are marketed to measure intra-abdominal pressure, but bladder devices as part of urinary catheter systems, are used most.
