[Acute liver failure: present recommendations]

Abstract

Acute liver failure is a life threatening illness whose mortality rate remains high. For the survival an early diagnosis is crucial as well as the use of specific and supportive therapy and the determination of patient's need for urgent liver transplantation. At the first signs of the disease progression it is necessary to contact a transplantation centre. The patient with acute liver failure should be admitted to intensive care unit of a hospital capable to perform liver transplantation. Liver transplantation is limited by the availability of organs. It is possible to expand the time required for spontaneous liver regeneration or transplantation by using liver supporting systems. The therapy of the acute liver failure is multidisciplinary and should be performed in specialized centers.