What Is Liver Failure?
Article Sources
- 1. Gagan K et al. Acute liver failure. Medscape: Drugs and Diseases (2019) https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/177354-overview
- 2. Mayo Clinic. Diseases and Conditions: Liver Disease. (2020) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/liver-problems/symptoms-causes/syc-20374502
- 3. Wolf, David C. et al. Cirrhosis. Medscape: Drugs and Diseases (2018) https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/185856-overview
4. Brain Damage
When the liver is unable to perform its job, toxins that would normally be removed continue to circulate in the bloodstream. One effect of this condition, known as hepatic encephalopathy, is decreased mental ability as a result of liver failure. Symptoms include trouble thinking, confusion, poor judgment, and shaky hands.1Gagan K et al. Acute liver failure. Medscape: Drugs and Diseases (2019) https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/177354-overview
Because it is one of the most serious symptoms, the rapidity of the development of encephalopathy determines whether doctors consider liver failure fulminant or subfulminant.1Gagan K et al. Acute liver failure. Medscape: Drugs and Diseases (2019) https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/177354-overview The degree to which encephalopathy has progressed before seeking treatment is a major determinant of whether a patient will recover.1Gagan K et al. Acute liver failure. Medscape: Drugs and Diseases (2019) https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/177354-overview
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