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Cirrhosis is a late stage of serious liver disease marked by inflammation (swelling), fibrosis (cellular hardening) and damaged membranes preventing detoxification of chemicals in the body, ending in scarring and necrosis (cell death). [11] Between 10% and 20% of heavy drinkers will develop cirrhosis of the liver (NIAAA, 1993).
Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is an acute condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced with scar tissue and regenerative nodules as a result of chronic liver disease.
Supportive therapy for complications of cirrhosis include diuretics, albumin, vitamin K, blood products, antibiotics and nutritional therapy. Other patients may require surgery or a transplant. Transplant is required when the liver fails and there is no other alternative. [4]
Chronic liver failure usually occurs in the context of cirrhosis, itself potentially the result of many possible causes, such as excessive alcohol intake, hepatitis B or C, autoimmune, hereditary and metabolic causes (such as iron or copper overload, steatohepatitis or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). [citation needed]
It is possible and not unexpected for an illness to change in definition from terminal to chronic. Diabetes and HIV for example were once terminal yet are now considered chronic due to the availability of insulin for diabetics and daily drug treatment for individuals with HIV which allow these individuals to live while managing symptoms. [1]
More than 40% of people with cirrhosis develop hepatic encephalopathy. [7] More than half of those with cirrhosis and significant HE live less than a year. [1] In those who are able to get a liver transplant, the risk of death is less than 30% over the subsequent five years. [1] The condition has been described since at least 1860. [1]