Clinical characteristics of 159 cases of acute toxic hepatitis.
10.3350/kjhep.2008.14.4.483
- Author:
Sun Hyung KANG
1
;
Jeong Il KIM
;
Kyung Hye JEONG
;
Kwang Hoon KO
;
Pyung Gohn KO
;
Se Woong HWANG
;
Eun Mi KIM
;
Seok Hyun KIM
;
Heon Young LEE
;
Byung Seok LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea. gie001@cnuh.co.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article ; English Abstract
- Keywords:
Toxic hepatitis;
Hospitalization period;
Recovery time;
Prognostic factor
- MeSH:
Acute Disease;
Adolescent;
Adult;
Aged;
Aged, 80 and over;
Alcohol Drinking;
Bilirubin/blood;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal;
Female;
Hepatitis, Toxic/*diagnosis/epidemiology/etiology;
Humans;
Length of Stay;
Male;
Medical Records;
Middle Aged;
Prognosis;
Retrospective Studies;
Risk Factors;
Severity of Illness Index
- From:The Korean Journal of Hepatology
2008;14(4):483-492
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Toxic hepatitis has recently been discovered to be a major cause of acute hepatitis. We studied the clinical features and prognosis of patients diagnosed with toxic hepatitis at a single institution. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using medical records of 159 cases of toxic hepatitis that were diagnosed from March 2003 to March 2008. Patients were selected based on a RUCAM score of 4 or above. RESULTS: The incidence was higher in women (n=97) than in men (n=62). The age (mean+/-SD) of the patients was 51+/-15 years . The major causes of the disease included the use of Korean traditional therapeutic preparations (34.0%), herbal medicines (41.5%), and drugs prescribed by a physician (23.9%). At the time of admission, jaundice was the most common symptom (41.5%), and the results of a liver serum battery were as follows: aspartate aminotransferase, 729.4+/-877.0 IU/L; alanine aminotransferase, 857.1+/-683.0 IU/L; total bilirubin, 6.4+/-6.5 mg/dL; and alkaline phosphatase, 209.8+/-130.0 IU/L. The hospitalization period was 10.0+/-9.5 days, and the duration of recovery from liver injury was 31.0+/-29.5 days. The factors associated with the hospitalization period included the presence of anorexia and the serum levels of albumin and bilirubin at the time of admission (P<0.05). A high serum bilirubin level and a history of alcohol ingestion were associated with a delayed recovery (Plt;0.05). The sex, age, BMI, and duration of medication were not significantly related to the hospitalization and recovery periods. CONCLUSIONS: The main cause of acute toxic hepatitis in the current study was the use of herbal medicines. The severity of liver injury at the time of admission was a major factor significantly associated with the hospitalization and recovery periods.
