Acute Liver Failure in Children.

Pediatric acute liver failure is a rare diagnosis which can result in death or multiorgan system failure with a potential need for liver transplantation. The causative factors are many, but etiology, definitive pathophysiology, and directed therapies are still under investigation contributing to the difficulty in planning and providing both medical and nursing care. Clinical practice guidelines for acute liver failure are available for adult patients and through a national published position paper for pediatrics, but quality evidence is limited, especially with regard to testing and treatment recommendations, providing challenges in pediatric critical care decision making.