Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure, also termed fulminant hepatic failure, is the rapid deterioration of liver function in a person without pre-existing chronic liver disease, defined by the development of coagulopathy and hepatic encephalopathy within a short interval of the first signs of illness. It reflects extensive and sudde…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 7 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 21× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2578-2371 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Acute liver failure, also termed fulminant hepatic failure, is the rapid deterioration of liver function in a person without pre-existing chronic liver disease, defined by the development of coagulopathy and hepatic encephalopathy within a short interval of the first signs of illness. It reflects extensive and sudden loss of hepatocyte function, impairing the liver's capacity to detoxify metabolites, synthesize clotting factors, and maintain metabolic homeostasis. Causes include viral hepatitis, drug-induced and toxin-mediated injury, ischaemia, and metabolic disorders, and the disruption of amino-acid handling and related biochemical pathways contributes to systemic and neurological consequences. Clinically it presents with jaundice, altered mental status progressing from confusion to coma, bleeding tendency, and the risk of multi-organ involvement including cerebral oedema and renal dysfunction. It is distinguished from chronic liver disease, in which fibrosis and cirrhosis develop gradually, and from infectious and granulomatous hepatic conditions, although evaluation must exclude such alternatives. Management is supportive and time-critical, centring on intensive monitoring, correction of metabolic and coagulation derangements, treatment of the underlying cause where identifiable, and assessment for liver transplantation when recovery is unlikely. Understanding the mechanisms of hepatocyte injury and metabolic failure underpins prognostication and the selection of patients for transplantation in this high-mortality condition.

Research published in this journal

7 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 7 articles above have been cited 21 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Acute Liver Failure, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Spleen And Liver Research (ISSN 2578-2371).

Journal editorial board
Florin Graur · Romania

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.