Management of Pharmacologic Adverse Effects in Advanced Liver Disease

As a consequence of the altered hepatic architecture in advanced liver disease, drug metabolism is modified by changes in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, leading to the appearance of adverse effects and drug interactions and increasing the risk of over- or underdosing of medications. However, there are no tests that accurately determine the degree of impairment of liver metabolic function; therefore, general recommendations are established based on the degree of hepatic extraction, degree of hepatic metabolism, and degree of protein binding. Although the hepatic toxicity of some frequently used drugs, such as acetaminophen, is well known, many health care professionals are unaware or not fully aware of the deleterious effects that other drugs can have on patients with advanced liver injury, as is the case for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It is very important to increase awareness among both health care professionals and patients with advanced liver disease to limit the use of inappropriate drugs and prevent drug-induced liver injury.