Mortality Analysis of Acute Liver Failure in Uruguay

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a syndrome with high mortality.

Describe characteristics and outcomes of patients with ALF in Uruguay, and identify factors associated with mortality.

A retrospective analysis of 33 patients with ALF was performed between 2009 and 2017.

The patients' median age was 43 years, and 64% were women. Average Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score at admission was 33. The median referral time to the liver transplant (LT) center was 7 days. The most common etiologies were viral hepatitis (27%), indeterminate (21%), autoimmune (18%), and Wilson disease (15%). Overall mortality was 52% (71% of transplanted and 46% of nontransplanted patients). Dead patients had higher referral time (10 vs 4 days, P = .008), higher MELD scores at admission (37 vs 28) and highest achieved MELD scores (42 vs 29; P < .001), and higher encephalopathy grade III to IV (94% vs 25%, P < .001) than survivors. Patients without LT criteria (n = 4) had lower MELD score at admission (25 vs 34, P = .001) and highest achieved MELD score (27 vs 37, P = .008) compared with the others. Patients with LT criteria but contraindications (n = 7) had higher MELD scores at admission (38 vs 31, P = .02), highest achieved MELD scores (41 vs 34, P = .03), and longer referral time (10 days) than those without contraindications (3.5 days) or those without LT criteria (7.5 days, P = .02). Twenty-two patients were listed; LT was performed in 7, with a median time on waiting list of 6 days.

ALF in Uruguay has high mortality associated with delayed referral to the LT center, MELD score, and encephalopathy. The long waiting times to transplantation might influence mortality.