Etiology and prognosis of acute liver failure in children.

1. The etiology of acute liver failure in children differs from that in adults, with metabolic conditions being commoner in Europe and North America and hepatitis A being the commonest cause in Asia and South America. 2. Encephalopathy usually is a late feature and is not essential for the diagnosis. 3. Unlike adults, there are no good prognostic criteria that can predict survival without liver transplantation. 4. It is important to exclude genetic multisystem disorders before liver transplantation is considered.