Liver Failure from Alcohol Takes on Several Forms: Decompensated Cirrhosis, Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure, and Alcohol-Related Hepatitis.

Liver failure from alcohol can take on several forms, including decompensated alcohol-related cirrhosis (AC), acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), and alcohol-related hepatitis (AH). While the definitions of decompensated AC and AH are well-established concepts in alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), ACLF is a contemporary and controversial concept of a severe form of acutely decompensated cirrhosis characterized by the existence of organ system failure(s) and a high risk of short-term mortality. While these terminologies have overlapping features, they are distinct and useful by capturing the varied clinical phenotypes within the spectrum of life-threatening ALD.