Liver failure: Definition from Answers.com

Liver failure
Classification and external resources
ICD-10	K 72.9
DiseasesDB	5728
eMedicine	med/990
MeSH	D017093

Liver failure is the inability of the liver to perform its normal synthetic and metabolic function as part of normal physiology. Two forms are recognised:^[1]

Acute liver failure - development of hepatic encephalopathy (confusion, stupor and coma) and decreased production of proteins (such as albumin and blood clotting proteins) within four weeks of the first symptoms (such as jaundice) of a liver problem. "Hyperacute" liver failure is said to be present if this interval is 7 days or less, while "subacute" liver failure is said to be present if the interval is 5-12 weeks.
Chronic liver failure usually occurs in the context of cirrhosis, itself potentially the result of many possible causes, such as excessive alcohol intake, hepatitis B or C, autoimmune, hereditary and metabolic causes (such as iron or copper overload or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease).

References

^ O'Grady JG, Schalm SW, Williams R (1993). "Acute liver failure: redefining the syndromes". Lancet 342 (8866): 273–5. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(93)91818-7. PMID 8101303. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0140-6736(93)91818-7.

Digestive system · Digestive disease · Gastroenterology (primarily K20–K93, 530–579)

Upper GI tract

Lower GI tract:
Intestinal/
enteropathy

Small intestine/ (duodenum/jejunum/ileum)	Enteritis (Duodenitis, Jejunitis, Ileitis) — Peptic (duodenal) ulcer (Curling's ulcer) — Malabsorption: Coeliac · Tropical sprue · Blind loop syndrome · Whipple's · Short bowel syndrome · Steatorrhea · Milroy disease

Large intestine (appendix/colon)	Appendicitis · Colitis (Pseudomembranous, Ulcerative, Ischemic, Microscopic, Collagenous, Lymphocytic) · Functional colonic disease (IBS, Intestinal pseudoobstruction/Ogilvie syndrome) — Megacolon/Toxic megacolon · Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis

Large and/or small	Enterocolitis (Necrotizing) · IBD (Crohn's disease) — vascular: Abdominal angina · Mesenteric ischemia · Angiodysplasia — Bowel obstruction: Ileus · Intussusception · Volvulus · Fecal impaction — Constipation · Diarrhea (Infectious)

Rectum	Proctitis (Radiation proctitis) · Proctalgia fugax · Rectal prolapse

Anus	Anal fissure/Anal fistula · Anal abscess · Anal dysplasia · Pruritus ani

GI bleeding/BIS

Upper (Hematemesis, Melena) · Lower (Hematochezia)

Accessory

Liver	Hepatitis (Viral hepatitis, Autoimmune hepatitis, Alcoholic hepatitis) · Cirrhosis (PBC) · Fatty liver (NASH) · vascular (Hepatic veno-occlusive disease, Portal hypertension, Nutmeg liver) · Alcoholic liver disease · Liver failure (Hepatic encephalopathy, Acute liver failure) · Liver abscess (Pyogenic, Amoebic) · Hepatorenal syndrome · Peliosis hepatis

Gallbladder	Cholecystitis · Gallstones/Cholecystolithiasis · Cholesterolosis · Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses · Postcholecystectomy syndrome · Porcelain gallbladder

Bile duct/ other biliary tree	Cholangitis (PSC, Secondary sclerosing cholangitis, Ascending) · Cholestasis/Mirizzi's syndrome · Biliary fistula · Haemobilia · Gallstones/Cholelithiasis common bile duct (Choledocholithiasis, Biliary dyskinesia) · Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction

Pancreatic	Pancreatitis (Acute, Chronic, Hereditary) · Pancreatic pseudocyst · Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency · Pancreatic fistula

Abdominopelvic

Hernia	Diaphragmatic: Congenital diaphragmatic · Hiatus — Abdominal hernia: Inguinal (Indirect, Direct) · Umbilical · Incisional · Femoral — Obturator hernia · Spigelian hernia · Internal hernia

Peritoneal	Peritonitis (Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis) · Hemoperitoneum · Pneumoperitoneum

digestive system navs: anat of tract,glands,perit,diaphragm/physio/dev, noncongen/congen/congen of d+w/neoplasia, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc

v • d • e Organ failure

General	Heart failure · Respiratory failure · Liver failure (Acute liver failure) · Renal failure (Acute renal failure, Chronic renal failure )

Multiple	Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

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