Liver Failure is known to be one of the most detrimental and dangerous killers to society. Liver Failure, or hepatic failure, is where the liver becomes irreparable and starts to lose its function. Liver failure begins at an acute stage, where the symptoms are mild, such as some vomiting, lethargy, and some other symptoms. Eventually, liver failure gets to the point where the cells begin to die and the immune system cannot handle the strain of sustaining the body in its condition, so eventually, the body lets go and patients with liver failure deteriorate. Once the body deteriorates and simple bodily functions, like eating or sleeping, cannot be done, the liver that can’t eliminate toxic wastes lets go of those toxins and they are sent to the brain and causes a bulging or bursting sensation, where there is excess toxic fluid. This condition is known as hepatic encephalopathy. Once this condition takes place, the patient loses consciousness and falls into a coma or can be declared brain dead.
Background
The liver is one of the largest organs in the digestive system, and it’s responsible for producing a fluid called bile, which emulsifies, or breaks down, fats. As one of the liver’s main functions, if there isn’t enough bile to be produced, then blood deposits fill up within the liver and the other digestive organs, resulting in a condition called jaundice.
Symptoms/Causes
Jaundice is known to be the first symptom of liver failure, but there are other existing conditions that can result in liver failure as well. One of the biggest conditions associated with liver failure is hepatitis (inflammation of the liver). There are two types of hepatitis, both being B or C. They are both caused by viruses, but secondary causes can include drugs and alcohol. Hepatitis C is more fatal and is at a higher risk of causing liver failure and infection because this one results in the degeneration of liver cells and the production of enzymes to digest food are destroyed. Moreover, Hepatitis C is genetic, so the risk of liver failure in families can be increased if previous generations were diagnosed with Hepatitis C. However, it isn’t a great increase because many research studies have concluded that the probability of a child receiving Hepatitis C from their parents is ranging from 2-8%, which isn’t high. As mentioned previously, there are secondary causes to Hepatitis, those being alcohol and drugs. Consuming a lot of alcohol can also cause cirrhosis, a chronic condition that causes scarring of the liver. Cirrhosis can cause malnutrition and the liver won’t be able to eliminate toxic wastes that come from the small intestine. With the scarring on the liver, liver cells die out and once liver failure kicks in, there is also a high risk of hepatic cancer. The main causes of liver failure are Hepatitis and Cirrhosis (alcohol consumption, specifically).
Treatment
Although there isn’t much that can be helped with hepatitis, as a result of Hepatitis C being genetic and caused by viral infections, cirrhosis can be preventable if alcohol intake is minimal or if it is completely stopped. One of the best courses of treatment options would be doing a liver transplant. They involve removing a portion of a liver from a living person or a liver from a deceased person and using it for the patient. This will allow for the liver to take over and continue its functions properly. Many doctors have also suggested that removing a portion of a liver from another person can be useful, because the liver can regenerate its lost tissue and it is better than waiting on a transplant list to receive the organ from a deceased person. There can be complications in surgery, one of them being rejection, where the body cannot respond to the donor liver, but there are other solutions for that. Once liver transplants are over, there will need to be a lot of care, specifically medications, but with enough care and having good health, there won’t be a great risk of liver failure again.