Of the 55 patients listed but not transplanted, 45 (82%) died within a median of 7 days (range, 1-90 days). Multivariate analysis showed that adult LDLT (hazard ratio [HR] 0.10, P < 0.01) and DDLT (HR 0.12, P = 0.04) were associated with decreased mortality, whereas older age (HR 1.03, P = 0.01) and higher Model for End-stage Liver selleck chemicals Disease (MELD) (HR 1.03, P = 0.04) was associated with increased mortality of patients. There was no living donor mortality. Eight (17.8%) and three (6.7%) living donors experienced grade 1 and 2 complications, respectively. Conclusion: Emergency adult LDLT can be performed expeditiously and safely
for patients with ALF, and greatly improves the survival rate. As the window during which transplantation is possible is limited, emergency adult LDLT should be considered one of the first-line treatment options in patients with ALF, especially in regions in which ALFs are caused by etiologies associated with poor outcome and the supply of organs is severely limited. (HEPATOLOGY 2010.) Acute liver failure (ALF) is a condition in which rapid deterioration of liver function results in altered mentality
check details and coagulopathy in individuals without preexisting cirrhosis.1 The probability of spontaneous recovery is usually poor, with emergency liver transplantation (LT) often being the only effective treatment.1 The cause of ALF is the most important determinant of patient outcomes.2 For example, spontaneous recovery rates from ALF caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are significantly lower than from ALF attributable to acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity.3 The etiology of ALF varies markedly by geographical region.2 Because ALF progresses rapidly, the need for LT is urgent. In Western countries, not all patients listed for LT receive a liver graft from a deceased donor, and the death rate of patients awaiting LT ranges from
10% to 40%.3, O-methylated flavonoid 4 The donation rate from deceased donors is even much lower in Asian countries.5, 6 The high mortality rates from ALF and the limited number of organs available from deceased donors has led to the use of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (adult LDLT) in many countries.7–9 Emergency adult LDLT is likely to be particularly effective for patients in regions where ALF is mainly caused by etiologies associated with a high mortality rate and a severely limited supply of organs. However, its use has been limited by ethical concerns and the time constraints needed to evaluate donors. In this prospective cohort study we evaluated the long-term effect and donor safety of emergency adult LDLT for ALF in Korea, an HBV-endemic area with a severe shortage of organs from deceased donors.