Hypoxic Hepatitis: What Intensivist Needs to Know?

Abstract

Hypoxic hepatitis is characterized by a rapid and transient increase in serum transaminase levels. Patient with comorbidities are at risk, especially those with acute or chronic impairment of cardiac function. In general, the diagnosis is simple. The underlying hepatic lesion is centrilobular necrosis. Hypoxic hepatitis has a dismal prognosis with mortality rates reaching 50% in some series. Prognosis is closely related to the delay in improving hepatic blood flow and oxygenation. The purpose of this article is to provide the intensivists some tools to identify situations at risk of ischemic hepatitis and to make the diagnosis as early as possible in order to implement the necessary measures.