This article provides guidelines formulated for the management of acute liver failure (ALF) in India. This consensus statement is from the pediatric gastroenterology chapter, Indian academy of pediatrics. Definition A number of definitions for acute liver failure (ALF) have been proposed mostly dealing with adults and have failed to address the complexities associated with acute liver failure (ALF) in infants and children.
The group recommends pediatric ALF definition as: Evidence of liver dysfunction within 8 weeks of onset of symptoms (neonates may have only deranged liver functions) Uncorrectable coagulopathy with International Normalized Ratio (INR) >1.5 in patients with hepatic encephalopathy or INR> 2.0 in patients without encephalopathy No evidence of chronic liver disease either at presentation or in the past. Management in the Intensive Care Unit It is advisable that the child…
