Hypoxic hepatitis in critically ill patients: incidence, etiology and risk factors for mortality

Hypoxic hepatitis may be induced by hemodynamic instability or arterial hypoxemia in critically ill patients. We investigated the incidence, etiology, association with systemic ischemic injury and risk factors for mortality in this population.

Retrospective analysis of patients with hypoxic hepatitis admitted to a multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital. Hypoxic hepatitis was defined as the existence of a compatible clinical setting (cardiocirculatory failure or arterial hypoxemia) and aminotransferase levels higher than 1000 IU/L.

During the 8-year study period, 182 out of the 7674 patients admitted presented hypoxic hepatitis (2.4%). The most common cause was septic shock. The rate of in-hospital mortality in hypoxic hepatitis was 61.5% (112 patients), and was higher in patients with septic shock (83.3%) and cardiac arrest (77.7%). Ischemic pancreatitis (25.6%), rhabdomyolysis (41.2%) and renal failure (67.2%) were common in these patients. Risk factors of mortality were prolonged INR (p = 0.005), need for renal replacement therapy (p = 0.001) and septic shock (p = 0.005).

Hypoxic hepatitis was not a rare condition, and was frequently accompanied by multiorgan injury, with high mortality. Risk factors for increased mortality were prolonged INR, need for renal replacement therapy, and septic shock.