Liver Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Liver Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Indication of liver transplantation following amatoxin intoxication.

Ganzert M, Felgenhauer N, Zilker T

Toxicological Department, II Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany. m.ganzert@Lrz.tu-muenchen.de

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Indication of liver transplantation in acute liver failure following amatoxin intoxication is still uncertain. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-eight patients were studied retrospectively. The laboratory parameters alanine-aminotransferase, serum bilirubin, serum creatinine and prothrombin index were analyzed over time. Predictors of fatal outcome and survival were determined by receiver-operating-characteristic and sensitivity-specificity analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients died in the median 6.1 days (range, 2.7-13.9 days) after ingestion. Using a single parameter as predictor of fatal outcome the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve of prothrombin index (0.96) and serum creatinine (0.93) were both significantly greater (P<0.05) compared with serum bilirubin (0.82) and alanine-aminotransferase (0.69). Prediction of fatal outcome had an optimum, if a prothrombin index less than 25% was combined with a serum creatinine greater than 106 micromol/l from day 3 after ingestion onwards (sensitivity 100%, 95% confidence interval 87-100; specificity 98%, 95% confidence interval 94-100). The median time period between the first occurrence of this predictor in non-survivors and death was 63h (range, 3-230h). CONCLUSIONS: A decision model of liver transplantation following amatoxin intoxication using prothrombin index in combination with serum creatinine from day 3 to 10 after ingestion enables an early and reliable assessment of outcome.

Published 24 January 2005 in J Hepatol, 42(2): 202-9.
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