PELD

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Researchers Develop Clinical Tool to Predict if a Child in Acute Liver Failure Will Need a Transplant

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 23, 2023

Unlike children with chronic liver disease, previously healthy children who develop acute liver failure can suddenly deteriorate.

Key Points: 
  • Unlike children with chronic liver disease, previously healthy children who develop acute liver failure can suddenly deteriorate.
  • While pediatric acute liver failure has been linked to both viral hepatitis and drug-induced liver injury, at least half of cases have no apparent trigger.
  • The CHALF Score predicts if a child experiencing acute liver failure will recover or should be referred to a transplant center.
  • Doctors do not want to refer a child for liver transplant who could otherwise recover with medical treatment—about 70% of children with acute liver failure recover while keeping their original liver.