acute liver failure
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1.5 to 2 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Prior studies have shown there to be significant racial differences in access to and outcomes of liver transplantation. Recently, doctors from across the U.S.
PHILADELPHIA - Understanding the molecular signals that guide early cells in the embryo to develop into different organs provides insight into ways that tissues regenerate and how stem cells can be used for new therapies.
Chicago (June 1, 2009) ? The International Serious Adverse Events Consortium (SAEC) announced today initial results from its research designed to discover genetic markers that may predict individuals at risk for serious drug induced liver injury (DILI).
Acetaminophen overdose causes more than 450 deaths due to acute liver failure each year in the United States and this number appears to be on the rise. In 2001, the U.S. Acute Liver Failure (ALF) Study found acetaminophen responsible for 39 percent of cases. In 2003, the number had risen to 49 percent. William M. Lee, M.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and a principal investigator of the NIH-funded U.S. Acute Liver Failure Group, suggests that the FDA should consider a more aggressive and broader approach toward regulating the pain reliever to lessen the incidence of such poisonings.
In a major study conducted at
20 centers in the United States and Europe, a bioartificial liver reduced mortality
significantly among patients suffering from acute liver failure, the
dramatic loss of liver function that can cause death in days or even hours.
This is the first large-scale, prospective, randomized, multi-center trial
examining the effectiveness of any artificial liver support. Currently,
standard treatment consists of intensive, supportive care intended to keep
patients alive long enough that the liver might recover spontaneously or a
donor organ will become available for transplantation.
