cardiovascular complications
Last reviewed 01/2018
A common complication of acute hepatic failure is a reduction in peripheral resistance which requires a reflex increase in cardiac output to maintain blood pressure. Cardiac failure and hypotension may result if there is pre-existing heart disease.
The nature of the microvascular dysfunction is such that blood is shunted away from actively respiring tissues so that:
- the oxygen extraction ratio decreases
- lactic acid levels increase