Adults with Liver Failure in the Intensive Care Unit: A Transplant Primer for Nurses

Abstract

Liver transplant is the standard of care for treatment of many liver diseases. Patients with acute liver failure or end-stage liver disease may require intensive care management. Nurses play a vital role in the care of these patients before and immediately after transplant. Optimal patient outcomes depend on intensive care nurses being able to understand the process of liver failure and the necessary patient management during the pretransplant and early posttransplant periods. This article provides critical care nurses with an overview of liver disease and transplant for adult patients with a diagnosis of liver failure.