Causes and Complications of Fulminant Hepatic Failure

Fulminant hepatic failure can be caused by a number of viral, metabolic, toxic, and vascular factors. Identification of the cause can lead to specific intervention in some conditions. Care of the patient with fulminant hepatic failure resulting from diverse causes requires intensive monitoring to prevent death from a variety of complications. Cerebral edema, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, sepsis, coagulopathy, and hypoglycemia are potentially catastrophic complications that must be anticipated and preempted whenever possible. Liver transplantation has emerged as a reasonable therapeutic option; survival rates in small series are approximately 50%.