Purpose: Hypoxic hepatitis (HH) is a frequent cause of acute hepatocellular damage at the intensive care unit. Although mortality is reported to be high, risk factors for mortality in this population are unknown.
Methods: One-hundred and seventeen consecutive patients with HH were studied prospectively at three medical intensive care units of a university hospital.
Results: The main causes of hypoxic hepatitis were low cardiac output and septic shock, and most patients (74%) had more than one underlying factor. Peak aspartate transaminase (P = 0.02), lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.03), INR (P < 0.001) and lactate (P < 0.01) were higher in non-survivors. Prolonged duration of HH caused higher overall mortality rate (P = 0.03). INR > 2 (P = 0.02), septic shock (P = 0.01) and SOFA score >10 (P = 0.04) were risk factors of mortality in the regression model.
Conclusions: Hypoxic hepatitis is the consequence of multiorgan injury. Outcome is influenced by the severity of liver impairment and the etiology and severity of the basic disease.