Acute-on-chronic liver failure in patients with alcohol-related liver disease
1Dept. Gastroenterology and Hepato-Pancreatology, C.U.B. Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium; Laboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Inserm Unité 1149, Centre de Recherche sur l'inflammation (CRI), Paris, France; UMR S_1149, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France; The EASL-CLIF Consortium, European Foundation-CLIF, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
The spectrum of alcohol-related liver diseases (ALD) includes steatosis, steatohepatitis, progressive liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a recently defined entity that occurs in patients with chronic liver diseases and is characterised by acute decompensation, organ failures and a high risk of short-term mortality. Active alcohol consumption, alcoholic hepatitis and bacterial infections are the most frequent events precipitating the development of ACLF in the context of ALD (ALD-ACLF). The specific management of this entity remains unknown and the place of salvage liver transplantation controversial. This overview details the current knowledge on specific aspects of epidemiology, pathophysiology, prognosis and management of ALD-ACLF.
Related Concept Videos
Diseases of the Liver and Gallbladder
Cirrhosis is characterized by the scarring of hepatic lobules in the liver, which are replaced by fibrous tissue, affecting the liver's normal functioning. NAFLD, on the other hand, is caused by an excessive build-up of fat in the liver, not...
Liver Histology
Hepatocytes perform a variety of essential functions. They secrete...
Liver Physiology
Metabolic Regulation:
The liver is the central organ involved in regulating blood composition. It stabilizes blood glucose levels, maintaining them within the range of 70–110 mg/dL. When these levels drop, the liver breaks down glycogen reserves and releases glucose into the bloodstream. It can...
Liver Regeneration
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Acute Respiratory Failure-I
Definition: It is defined by specific criteria based on blood gas measurements. Hypoxemia happens when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) falls below 60 mmHg. At the same time,...


