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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTests and procedures used to diagnose acute liver failure include:
- Blood tests. Blood tests to determine how well your liver is functioning may include the prothrombin time test, which measures how long it takes for your blood to clot. If you have acute liver failure, your blood doesn't clot as quickly as it should.
- Examination of liver tissue. Your doctor may recommend a procedure to remove a small section of liver tissue (liver biopsy). Tests of the liver tissue may help your doctor understand why your liver is failing. For people with a risk of bleeding during biopsy, such as those with acute liver failure, the doctor performs a transjugular liver biopsy. To do this, a tiny incision is made on the right side of your neck and a thin tube (catheter) is passed into a large vein in your neck, through your heart and down into a vein exiting your liver. Your doctor then inserts a needle down through the catheter and retrieves a sample of liver tissue.
References
- Polson J, et al. AASLD position paper: The management of acute liver failure. Hepatology. 2005;41:1179.
- Fontana RJ. Acute liver failure. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/135942637-3/0/1389/0.html. Accessed May 7, 2009.
- Fontana RJ. Acute liver failure including acetaminophen overdose. The Medical Clinics of North America. 2008;92:761.
- Liver health tips. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://www.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/LiverHealthTips.aspx. Accessed May 7, 2009.
