To study the clinical features and more reasonable typing criteria for patients with chronic severe hepatitis and decompensated liver function. Data of 106 cases of decompensated cirrhosis, 124 cases of chronic liver failure and 100 cases of chronic liver failure (chronic liver failure group I, CLF I) with decompensated cirrhosis (chronic liver failure group II, CLF II) were analyzed retrospectively. (1) The ages were youngest in chronic liver failure group I (about 30 years), and the oldest in decompensated cirrhosis group (about 50 years). (2) There were significant differences in albumin, globulin, ALT, AST, protruding activity, blood glucose, blood lipid and cholinesterase among the three groups. (3) There was no significant difference in upper digestive tract bleeding and hepatorenal syndrome, on the other hand, there was significant difference in ascites and hepatic encephalopathy. (4) The prognosis of the patients in decompensated cirrhosis group was better than that of chronic liver failure group I and chronic liver failure group II. The clinical feature and prognosis in three groups were different, so, it is suggested that chronic severe liver disease be divided into 2 types: one is chronic severe liver disease type I, which is associated with chronic hepatitis, and the other is chronic severe liver disease type II, which is associated with cirrhosis, and the typing criteria for decompensated cirrhosis remains unchanged.