Liver failure

Hepatic insufficiency is a pathological condition representing the last stage of a disease. The illness is associated with impaired functions and is accompanied by neuropsychiatric disorders of varying severity, in some cases, up to coma.

Hepatic insufficiency can be a consequence of infectious hepatitis (Botkin's disease), chronic hepatitis, which turns into cirrhosis, alveococcosis, a tumor, chronic pancreatitis with obstruction (occlusion) of the bile duct. The cause of the disease are also violations of hemodynamics against the background of occlusion of the liver of the liver, poisoning with fungi, hepatotropic substances (lead, phosphorus and others), the influence of extreme factors (surgical interventions, burns, wounds). The ailment develops with intolerance of medicines (antidiabetic drugs, aminazine and others), diseases accompanied by extrahepatic cholestasis.

In childhood, liver failure is most often a consequence of viral hepatitis B.

Given the mechanism, hepatic failure is divided into two forms.

To the first carry the endogenous. This form develops as a result of lesions in the liver parenchyma and a disorder in the function of hepatocytes.

The exogenous form is caused by the intake of ammonia saturated with blood into the total flow from the portal vein through the portocaval anastomoses.

As practice shows, liver failure in most cases develops in a mixed form. In this case, endogenous factors predominate.

Liver failure. Symptoms

The disease can proceed with lightning speed, chronically and acutely. The most common is chronic development of the disease. At its first manifestations hepatic-cellular insufficiency is revealed. There is a violation of nutrition, dry skin, a decrease in turgor in tissues, the formation of vascular sprouts and hemorrhages on the skin. In view of the increasing intoxication, gynecomastia may develop. In addition, probably an increase or decrease in the liver, the development of ascites, an increase in the spleen. Manifestations of severe deficiency characterize a severe defeat. Patients in this state have a specific odor from the mouth, fever, tenderness in palpation.

Further development of the disease is characterized by disorders of the nervous and mental state of patients. Such changes are considered to be the main factors in assessing the severity of the disease. Taking into account the symptoms, these disorders are divided into three stages.

The first is marked by night insomnia, emotional instability, drowsiness during the day, memory impairment, in some cases headache or dizziness is possible.

The second stage is characterized by neurological disorders, impaired consciousness, up to the onset of hepatic (encephalopathy) hepatargy. In patients, tremors of the lips, hands, eyelids, ataxia, wandering eyes, involuntary defecation and urination are observed. Probably also the development of the delirious syndrome, accompanied by excitation with a change in the retardation. In this condition, there is a greater degree of changes in the indications of the electroencephalogram.

The third stage (coma) is characterized by a pronounced confusion of consciousness. After that comes a stupor, and then - a coma.

With lightning-fast liver failure, death can occur in a few hours.

The acute development of the disease is marked by a sharp or subacute (gradual) onset, lasting from several days to weeks. Pathology can in some cases stop after reaching the first stage or the second, but, as a rule, it progresses and leads to a lethal outcome.