prognosis

Last reviewed 01/2018

Prognosis is varies with respect to different factors:

  • the aetiology of the disease. There is a 50+% survival rate in paracetamol overdose. Acute liver failure due to hepatitis A infection has a 70+% survival rate. The poorest prognosis is seen in patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis and those with idiosyncratic drug reactions (survival in these groups is about 20%)

  • age - survival is better in the young

  • the severity of the encephalopathy, although there are many published reports of people with severe encephalopathy surviving very well