TY - JOUR PY - 2010// TI - Medical and psychiatric outcomes for patients transplanted for acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure: A case-control study JO - Liver international A1 - Karvellas, C.J. A1 - Safinia, N. A1 - Auzinger, G. A1 - Heaton, N. A1 - Muiesan, P. A1 - O'Grady, J. A1 - Wendon, J. A1 - Bernal, W. SP - 826 EP - 833 VL - 30 IS - 6 N2 - BACKGROUND: Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity is the most common cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the UK. Patients often consume the drug with suicidal intent or with a background of substance dependence. Aims and methods: We compared the severity of pretransplant illness, psychiatric co-morbidity, medical and psychosocial outcomes of all patients who had undergone liver transplantation (LT) emergently between 1999-2004 for acetaminophen-induced ALF (n=36) with age- and sex-matched patients undergoing emergent LT for non-acetaminophen-induced ALF (n=35) and elective LT for chronic liver disease (CLD, n=34).

RESULTS: Acetaminophen-induced ALF patients undergoing LT had a greater severity of pre-LT illness reflected by higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores and requirement for organ support compared with the other two groups. Twenty (56%) acetaminophen-induced ALF patients had a formal psychiatric diagnosis before LT (non-acetaminophen-induced ALF=0/35, CLD=2/34; P<0.01 for all) and nine (25%) had a previous suicide attempt. During follow-up (median 5 years), there were no significant differences in rejection (acute and chronic), graft failure or survival between the groups (acetaminophen-induced ALF 1 year 87%, 5 years 75%; non-acetaminophen-induced ALF 88%, 78%; CLD 93%, 82%: P>0.6 log rank). Two acetaminophen-induced ALF patients reattempted suicide post-LT (one died 8 years post-LT).

CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high prevalence of psychiatric disturbance, outcomes for patients transplanted emergently for acetaminophen-induced ALF were comparable to those transplanted for non-acetaminophen-induced ALF and electively for CLD. Multidisciplinary approaches with long-term psychiatric follow-up may contribute to low post-transplant suicide rates seen and low rates of graft loss because of non-compliance. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1478-3223 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-3231.2010.02243.x ID - ref1 ER -