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Halothane Hepatotoxicity: Treatment & Medication

Author: Ruben Peralta, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery, Anesthesia and Emergency Medicine, Senior Medical Advisor, Board of Directors, Program Chief of Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care, Consulting Staff, Professor Juan Bosch Trauma Hospital, Dominican Republic
Coauthor(s): Karl A Poterack, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale; Sarah Guzofski, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jun 17, 2008

Treatment

Medical Care

  • No specific therapy is available for either fulminant hepatic necrosis or mild hepatotoxicity due to halothane. Only supportive therapy and orthotopic liver transplantation are available for hepatic necrosis.
  • Because halothane hepatitis is a diagnosis of exclusion, ruling out other causes is essential.
  • As in any form of fulminant hepatitis, take the following measures when instituting supportive therapy:
    • Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.
    • Support hemodynamics as necessary.
    • Support ventilation as necessary.
    • Correct any alterations in coagulation.
    • Correct hypoglycemia.
    • Treat any other complications of the comatose state.
    • Restrict protein intake and administer oral lactulose or neomycin.
  • High-dose corticosteroid therapy has been used in liver failure but has been shown ineffective in controlled trials.
  • Molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) is a safe temporary life support mechanism for patients awaiting liver transplantation or recovering from fulminant hepatic failure.

Surgical Care

  • If fulminant liver failure occurs and liver function does not recover, orthotopic liver transplantation has been a successful option and may be considered.

Consultations

  • Consult with a hepatologist for assistance in confirming the diagnosis.
  • Consult with a critical care specialist for support of metabolic, respiratory, and cardiovascular issues.
  • Consult with organ procurement team and transplant teams, including transplant surgeon, if liver failure is imminent.

Diet

Restrict protein intake and administer oral lactulose or neomycin.

Activity

Although bed rest is not essential for full recovery, many patients feel better with restricted physical activity.

More on Halothane Hepatotoxicity

Overview: Halothane Hepatotoxicity
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Halothane Hepatotoxicity
Treatment & Medication: Halothane Hepatotoxicity
Follow-up: Halothane Hepatotoxicity
References
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References

  1. Subcommitee on the National Halothane Study of the Committee on Anesthesia, N. Summary of the national Halothane Study. Possible association between halothane anesthesia and postoperative hepatic necrosis. JAMA. Sep 5 1966;197(10):775-88. [Medline].

  2. Baden JM, Rice SA. Metabolism and Toxicity of Inhaled Anesthetics. In: Miller RD, ed. Anesthesia. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone;2000:147-173.

  3. Björnsson E, Olsson R. Outcome and prognostic markers in severe drug-induced liver disease. Hepatology. Aug 2005;42(2):481-9. [Medline].

  4. Björnsson E, Olsson R. Suspected drug-induced liver fatalities reported to the WHO database. Dig Liver Dis. Jan 2006;38(1):33-8. [Medline].

  5. Doria C, Mandalá L, Scott VL, Gruttadauria S, Marino IR. Fulminant hepatic failure bridged to liver transplantation with a molecular adsorbent recirculating system: a single-center experience. Dig Dis Sci. Jan 2006;51(1):47-53. [Medline].

  6. Du WB, Li LJ, Huang JR, Yang Q, Liu XL, Li J. Effects of artificial liver support system on patients with acute or chronic liver failure. Transplant Proc. Dec 2005;37(10):4359-64. [Medline].

  7. Elliott RH, Strunin L. Hepatotoxicity of volatile anaesthetics. Br J Anaesth. Mar 1993;70(3):339-48. [Medline].

  8. Gelman S. Anesthesia and the Liver. Barash, Cullen, Stoelting, eds. In: Clinical Anesthesia. Philadelphia, Pa: J.B. Lippencott;1992:1185-1214.

  9. Golembiewski J. Considerations in selecting an inhaled anesthetic agent: case studies. Am J Health Syst Pharm. Oct 15 2004;61 Suppl 4:S10-7. [Medline].

  10. Kharasch ED. Volatile Anesthetics: Organ Toxicity. In: Atlee, JL ed. Complications in Anesthesia. 1999;57-9.

  11. Kharasch ED, Hankins DC, Fenstamaker K, Cox K. Human halothane metabolism, lipid peroxidation, and cytochromes P(450)2A6 and P(450)3A4. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. Feb-Mar 2000;55(11-12):853-9. [Medline].

  12. Masubuchi Y, Horie T. Toxicological significance of mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome p450 enzymes by drugs. Crit Rev Toxicol. Jun 2007;37(5):389-412. [Medline].

  13. Mikatti NE, Healy TE. Hepatic injury associated with halogenated anaesthetics: cross- sensitization and its clinical implications. Eur J Anaesthesiol. Jan 1997;14(1):7-14. [Medline].

  14. Ray DC, Drummond GB. Halothane hepatitis. Br J Anaesth. Jul 1991;67(1):84-99. [Medline].

  15. Reichle FM, Conzen PF. Halogenated inhalational anaesthetics. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. Mar 2003;17(1):29-46. [Medline].

  16. Roizen MF. Anesthetic Implications of Concurrent Diseases. In: Anesthesia. 1994;903-1014.

  17. Stachnik J. Inhaled anesthetic agents. Am J Health Syst Pharm. Apr 1 2006;63(7):623-34. [Medline].

  18. You Q, Cheng L, Reilly TP, Wegmann D, Ju C. Role of neutrophils in a mouse model of halothane-induced liver injury. Hepatology. Dec 2006;44(6):1421-31. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

halothane hepatotoxicity, halothane hepatitis, post-halothane liver dysfunction, hepatic toxicity, halogenated inhalational anesthetic agents, enflurane, isoflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane, centrilobular liver cell necrosis, fulminant liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy, orthotopic liver transplantation

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Ruben Peralta, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery, Anesthesia and Emergency Medicine, Senior Medical Advisor, Board of Directors, Program Chief of Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care, Consulting Staff, Professor Juan Bosch Trauma Hospital, Dominican Republic
Ruben Peralta, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, Association for Academic Surgery, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Massachusetts Medical Society, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Karl A Poterack, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale
Karl A Poterack, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Anesthesiologists
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Sarah Guzofski, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Sarah Guzofski, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and Massachusetts Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Laurie Robin Grier, MD, Medical Director of MICU, Associate Professor of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Science Center at Shreveport
Laurie Robin Grier, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and Society of Critical Care Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Harold L Manning, MD, Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine, Anesthesiology and Physiology, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School
Harold L Manning, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and American Thoracic Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Timothy D Rice, MD, Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Timothy D Rice, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Michael R Pinsky, MD, CM, Professor of Critical Care Medicine, Bioengineering, Cardiovascular Diseases and Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Michael R Pinsky, MD, CM is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Critical Care Medicine, American Heart Association, American Thoracic Society, Association of University Anesthetists, Shock Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine
Disclosure: LiDCO Ltd Honoraria Consulting; iNTELOMED Intellectual property rights Board membership; Edwards Lifesciences Honoraria Consulting; Applied Physiology, Ltd Honoraria Consulting

 
 
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