Dhawan A.: acute liver failure

Our todays guest is Prof. Anil Dhawan of King’s College Hospital in London, leader of the paediatric liver service there, about Prof. Dhawan’s lifelong especial interest within paediatric hepatology: Acute liver failure. In May, 2023, at the annual meeting of ESPGHAN, he sketched – from his personal vantage point – the horrorshow with which this clinical diagnosis confronted caregivers thirty-plus years ago; what steps have been taken to improve the prognosis of children with acute liver failure (they’re doing better now); and what remains to be accomplished for these children in both the near term and the longer term. He believes that “bridge transplantation”, using hepatocytes administered intraperitoneally, holds out particular promise for many patients, maintaining them until liver recovery or liver transplantation more definitively resolves the crisis situation that acute liver failure still represents. In this podcast he shares anecdotes, perspectives, and hard data on acute liver failure and what can be, what should be, done for patients with that disorder. This mix is refracted through a unique and commanding personality – both informative and entertaining ? Well, have a listen, see what you think!