Hepatorenal syndrome is a condition that is identified as a type of kidney failure that occurs in people who have serious damage caused to the liver, commonly due to cirrhosis. When the kidney stops functioning, toxins begin to accumulate in the body which leads to liver failure as well. Therefore, kidney and liver failures are co-dependent in this case. This condition is of two types: 1 and 2. In Type 1 the kidney failure is more rapid, while type 2 patients tend to move gradually toward renal failure and the symptoms are less aggressive.
Symptoms
The symptoms caused by the hepatorenal syndrome are a cause of medical emergency in most cases. If any of the symptoms associated with the condition occur, the patient must be rushed to a doctor without any delay. The common symptoms associated with the condition include
- Nausea
- Increase in body weight
- Confusion
- Reduced urination
- Change in the color of urine, which usually becomes dark-colored
- Swelling in the abdomen area
- Jaundice
- Dementia
- Vomiting
- Delirium
Causes and risk factors
In most cases, the hepatorenal syndrome is a complication associated with liver disease. Almost in all patients, the condition is caused as a result of liver cirrhosis. When a person suffers from cirrhosis of the liver, there are several factors that can cause the hepatorenal syndrome, such as
- Infections, especially the ones that affect the kidneys
- Digestive tract disorders such as gastrointestinal bleeding
- Use of diuretics, the substance used for increased production of urine
The primary reason behind the condition is mostly any kind of disease related to the liver. These diseases can include
- Hepatitis caused by viruses such as Hepatitis B and C, autoimmune diseases, or substances
- Liver tumors
- Live cirrhosis
The most severe type of liver disease, which is linked to extreme damage to liver function, fulminant liver failure is also associated with hepatorenal syndrome. All these conditions can lead to kidney disease and eventually kidney failure at various levels in hepatorenal patients.
Other than these, some of the risk factors that increase the chances of kidney failure originating from liver disease have been identified, and these include
- Abdominal cavity infections, which can occur in people who suffer from live cirrhosis and are known as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis or SBP.
- Liver cirrhosis patients also suffer from a common problem which is bleeding into the gut. This is one of the risk factors of hepatorenal syndrome
There are various treatment options that a hepatorenal syndrome patient might need. Vasoconstrictors are medications that the patients might be prescribed to keep their blood pressure levels under control, which otherwise can be a problem with hepatorenal syndrome patients. To keep the kidney functions stable, dialysis may also be required. With the help of dialysis, the toxins, excess salt, and extra water can be extracted from the blood. Another effective treatment for patients is liver transplant surgery. Although getting a healthy liver for transplant can take a while, if one does manage to get it, the chances of survival increase greatly.