New Therapeutic Aspects in Fulminant Hepatic Failure

¹ The Department of Medicine I, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

At present, with the exception of paracetamol-induced liver injury and liver failure due to A phalloides, no specific treatment for fulminant hepatic failure is available; liver transplantation for this condition awaits controlled trials. Apart from treatment of symptoms like hepatic encephalopathy, support of liver regeneration is the most appropriate approach, since it helps the liver recover without the lifelong immunosuppression that is necessary after liver transplantation. Animal experiments have already shown that survival after experimentally induced fulminant hepatic failure can be improved by growth factors like insulin, glucagon, and HSS.