[N-acetylcysteine : effective treatment in severe alcoholic hepatitis ?].

The use of N-acetylcysteine is of unknown significance when it comes to acute liver failure of other origin but for paracetamol overdose. Current data state its beneficial use when added to standard treatment for acute alcoholic hepatitis, whereas this attitude is less clear for hepatitis of variable other origin. This review of literature attends to evaluate and reveal the possible interest of adding N-acetylcysteine to standard care of acute liver failure due to alcoholism or other non-paracetamol linked causes.