Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
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Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Mar 2010
ReviewHypoxic hepatitis - epidemiology, pathophysiology and clinical management.
Hypoxic hepatitis (HH), also known as ischemic hepatitis or shock liver, is characterized by centrilobular liver cell necrosis and sharply increasing serum aminotransferase levels in a clinical setting of cardiac, circulatory or respiratory failure. Nowadays it is recognized as the most frequent cause of acute liver injury with a reported prevalence of up to 10% in the intensive care unit. Patients with HH and vasopressor therapy have a significantly increased mortality risk in the medical intensive care unit population. ⋯ No specific therapies improving the hepatic function in patients with HH are currently established. Early recognition of HH and its underlying diseases and subsequent initiation of therapy is of central prognostic importance. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnostic and therapeutic options of HH.