Acute liver failure (ALF) is a dramatic, highly unpredictable clinical syndrome defined by the
sudden onset of coagulopathy and encephalopathy. Acetaminophen overdose, the leading
cause of ALF in the United States, has a 66% chance of recovery with early N-acetylcysteine
treatment and supportive care. Cerebral edema and infectious complications are difficult to
detect and treat in these patients and may cause irreversible brain damage and multiorgan
failure. One-year survival after emergency liver transplantation is 70%, but 20% of listed …