Acute liver failure diagnostic study of choice

Acute liver failure is a sudden loss of hepatic function in a patient without any evidence of underlying liver disease. Acute liver failure should be suspected in a patient with mental status changes, jaundice, and right upper quadrant pain or nonspecific symptoms such as malaise, nausea and fatigue of fewer than 26 weeks. The further evaluation should include liver function tests (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase [GGT], total and direct bilirubin, albumin) and prothrombin time/INR. The diagnosis of acute liver failure is made in the presence of coagulopathy (international normalized ratio (INR), >1.5), hepatic encephalopathy and illness duration of fewer than 24 weeks.

• Acute liver failure is a sudden loss of hepatic function in a patient without any evidence of underlying liver disease.^[1][2][3]
• Acute liver failure should be suspected in a patient with mental status changes, jaundice, and right upper quadrant pain or nonspecific symptoms such as malaise, nausea and fatigue of fewer than 26 weeks. The further evaluation should include liver function tests (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase [GGT], total and direct bilirubin, albumin) and prothrombin time/INR.
• The diagnosis of acute liver failure is made in the presence of:
  • Coagulopathy (International normalized ratio [INR] > 1.5)
  • Hepatic encephalopathy
  • Illness duration of fewer than 24 weeks