[Therapy of hepatorenal syndrome]

A specific medical therapy for 'the hepatorenal syndrome' (HRS) is not available. However, the increasing knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the development of HRS leads to new therapeutic approaches to this syndrome of functional renal failure. Recognition and prevention of precipitating factors, the correction and treatment of prerenal failure and acute tubular necrosis are particularly important in the treatment of patients with liver cirrhosis, ascites and hepato-renal failure. Vasoconstrictor agents (ornipressin, dopamine) are administered to achieve an improvement of the systemic circulation. Definitive therapy of HRS is liver transplantation.