Acute liver failure secondary to toxic exposure in children.

INTRODUCTION: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a syndrome defined by jaundice, coagulopathy (INR > 1.5) and hepatic encephalopathy in patients with no evidence of prior liver disease. Toxins and drugs are a frequent cause of ALF in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The aim of our study was to establish the causes of toxic ALF in children followed up in our hospital in the period of January 2000 to August 2018. We retrospectively studied all hospital records of patients who developed ALF after mushroom/drug exposure and had been admitted to our hospital, the main pediatric toxicology center in north-western Romania. RESULTS: In the last 18 years, 123 patients were admitted to our clinic with toxic ALF (89 patients secondary to mushroom ingestion and 34 patients after drug exposure). In the 2000-2012 period accidental mushroom poisoning was the leading cause of toxic ALF. Unfortunately, during the last years, voluntary drug ingestions have increased dramatically. The most commonly incriminated drug was acetaminophen (52.94%). CONCLUSIONS: ALF in mushroom poisoning is associated with a high mortality in children, despite optimal medical therapy. This etiology was one of the most important causes of death in our cohort. The difficulty in accessing emergency liver transplantation is an obstacle common to many Eastern European pediatric centers. Fortunately, in the last 5 years the incidence of mushroom intoxications has decreased in our area. It is worrying that over the last few years there has been an increased incidence of toxic ALF after drug exposure (for suicidal purposes or due to lenient regulations for prescribing hepatotoxic medications).

The Role of Predictive Models in the Assessment of the Poor Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Liver Failure.

OBJECTIVES: In children, acute liver failure (ALF) is a severe condition with high mortality. As some patients need liver transplantation (LT), it is essential to predict the fatal evolution and to refer them early for LT if needed. Our study aimed to evaluate the prognostic criteria and scores for assessing the outcome in children with ALF. METHODS: Data of 161 children with ALF (54.66% female, mean age 7.66 ± 6.18 years) were analyzed based on final evolution (32.91% with fatal evolution or LT) and etiology. We calculated on the first day of hospitalization the PELD score (109 children), MELD, and MELD-Na score (52 children), and King's College Criteria (KCC) for all patients. The Nazer prognostic index and Wilson index for predicting mortality were calculated for nine patients with ALF in Wilson's disease (WD). RESULTS: PELD, MELD, and MELD-Na scores were significantly higher in patients with fatal evolution (21.04 ± 13.28 vs. 13.99 ± 10.07, p = 0.0023; 36.20 ± 19.51 vs. 20.08 ± 8.57, p < 0.0001; and 33.07 ± 8.29 vs. 20.08 ± 8.47, p < 0.0001, respectively). Moreover, age, bilirubin, albumin, INR, and hemoglobin significantly differed in children with fatal evolution. Function to etiology, PELD, MELD, MELD-Na, and KCC accurately predicted fatal evolution in toxic ALF (25.33 vs. 9.90, p = 0.0032; 37.29 vs. 18.79, p < 0.0001; 34.29 vs. 19.24, p = 0.0002, respectively; with positive predicting value 100%, negative predicting value 88.52%, and accuracy 89.23% for King's College criteria). The Wilson index for predicting mortality had an excellent predictive strength (100% sensibility and specificity), better than the Nazer prognostic index. CONCLUSIONS: Prognostic scores may be used to predict the fatal evolution of ALF in children in correlation with other parameters or criteria. Early estimation of the outcome of ALF is essential, mainly in countries where emergency LT is problematic, as the transfer to a specialized center could be delayed, affecting survival chances.

Etiology and Outcome of Acute Liver Failure in Children-The Experience of a Single Tertiary Care Hospital from Romania.

BACKGROUND: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare disease, associated with high mortality, despite optimal medical therapy without emergency liver transplantation. Knowing the possible cause of ALF plays a vital role in the management, as the child could benefit from effective specific therapies in emergencies. METHODS: We have analyzed the etiology and outcome of ALF in children followed-up in a tertiary care hospital between January 2012-December 2018. The patients were grouped into different age categories: neonates (0-1 month), infants (1-12 months), children (1-14 years), and teenagers (14-18 years). RESULTS: 97 children (46 males, 47.42%, the mean age of 7.66 ± 8.18 years) were admitted with ALF. The most important causes of ALF were in neonates and infants, infections (72.72%), and metabolic disorders (43.47%), in children and adolescents were the toxic causes (60% and 79.41%). The mortality rate was 31.95% (31 patients), mainly in ALF due to infections or metabolic disorders. CONCLUSIONS: In neonates and infants, the main causes of ALF were infections and metabolic diseases, while in older children and teenagers, were toxin-induced liver injuries. The mortality among neonates and infants was significantly higher than in other ages. Early recognition and immediate therapeutic intervention could improve the outcome of these patients.