Acute Hepatic Failure

Acute hepatic failure (AHF) is a rare but life-threatening critical illness seen most commonly in previously healthy young adults without any pre-existing liver disease. Depending on the time of presentation, hepatic failure can be classified as follows: hyperacute, acute, subacute, and chronic. Globally, drug-induced hepatitis and viral hepatitis are the most common causes of AHF, whereas, in the USA, the most common cause of AHF is acetaminophen toxicity. This chapter provides information on the prevention, prognosis, common pitfalls in diagnosis and management, and treatment of AHF as well as national society guidelines for managing AHF. The overall mortality rate for fulminant AHF is about 30%. The main predictors of liver transplantation are the primary cause of AHF, age of the patient, and degree of hepatic encephalopathy.