High blood lactate levels linked to liver

NEDLANDS, Australia, Aug 25, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Fulminant hepatic failure, a shutdown of the liver, linked to high blood lactate levels, indicate the need for a transplant, says an Australian study.

The study examined ways of determining early on whether patients would benefit from a transplant as opposed to responding to other medical treatment. The results showed elevated blood lactate levels indicate a poor prognosis and thus the need for a transplant.

Although it is rare, 7 percent of liver transplants are performed because of fulminant hepatic failure, or FHF.

However, because life-threatening complications can quickly develop with the disorder -- and because some patients recover without having to undergo a transplant -- time is of the essence in determining whether or not to perform the surgery.

The findings appear in September's Liver Transplantation, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society.