Acute Liver Failure

Liver failure typically occurs only after a long period of time when an individual has been suffering from a chronic disease or condition that has been gradually doing permanent damage to the liver impairing its function, however, it can sometimes be a sudden event due to ingestion of a medication or substance that is toxic to the liver or an infection such as hepatitis. The liver is one of the body's vital organs that is required to sustain life, therefore, when the liver fails or ceases to function; this is a life threatening medical emergency.    

Causes of Liver Failure 

Most cases of liver failure are caused by a condition or disease that has gradually but progressively caused irreparable damage to the liver which causes its functioning to slowly deteriorate and eventually cease altogether.

The most common conditions that cause gradual liver failure include the hepatitis viruses B and C that are infections an individual can develop after coming into contact with blood or other bodily fluids of another individual who has this virus. Alcohol abuse is also another common cause of liver failure as the long term and excessive use of alcohol causes scar tissue (cirrhosis) to develop on the liver. 

Hemochromatosis which is a genetic -inherited - condition that causes excessive levels of iron to build up in the body can also cause progressive damage to the liver. Malnutrition can also have an affect on the liver causing permanent damage to occur over a period of time and slow or stop liver functioning.

Acute or sudden liver failure can occur when certain medications or substances are ingested that are toxic to the liver including certain prescription drugs,  overdoses of "Tylenol" or "acetaminophen" , herbal supplements or medications, wild mushrooms that are poisonous in nature, and hepatitis - particularly when it occurs in children. 

Symptoms and Treatment of Liver Failure 

When the liver initially begins to fail it may produce signs and symptoms that include nausea, the loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and diarrhea.  As liver failure progresses more serious symptoms will occur that will require emergency medical care and include jaundice which is a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, the abdomen may become swollen and painful, bleeding may easily occur due to the insufficient amount of protein that is normally produced by the liver, insomnia, disorientation or confusion, and an individual may lapse into a coma in the later stages.

In sudden or acute liver failure due to an overdose or viral infection, if it is detected early and treatment is immediately obtained, sometimes the condition can be reversed and it is possible that liver may regain its functioning and recover on its own. 

In more serious cases where the liver has been damaged treatment will depend on the extent of this damage and either consist of trying to save the parts of the liver that are still functioning from further damage or a liver transplant may be considered if the liver has been damaged extensively.

In order to prevent permanent damage from occurring to the liver, proper precautions should be taken to prevent the hepatitis viruses, and avoid the excessive use of alcohol or acetaminophen (Tylenol) - particularly the combination of acetaminophen and alcohol.