[Halothane hepatitis]

Abstract

The greatest disadvantage of the halothane, widely used in the anaesthesiology is its ability to cause liver damage. After halothane anaesthesia mild liver enzyme elevation in the one fifth of the patients was detected. The incidence of fatal halothane hepatitis is rare. It depends on several risk factors: on the genetic predisposition, repeated halothane anaesthetics, female sex, age of patient, obesity, intrahepatic hypoxia and enzyme induction. In the pathophysiology of liver toxicity the metabolism of halothane and immune functions play an important role. In this review the last results of researches concerning to the hepatotoxicity of halothane are summarised and the authors call the attention on the opportunity of its effective prevention.