Conditions: Acute Liver Failure Hepatic Encephalopathy
Keywords: acute liver failure hepatic encephalopathy acetaminophen toxicity N-acetylcysteine
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 184
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
We have completed patient enrollment in the the double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous (IV) N-acetylcysteine (NAC) vs. placebo for the treatment of non-acetaminophen ALF. The purpose of this study is to examine the safety and efficacy of intravenous NAC in children with ALF for whom no antidote or other specific treatment is available. Inclusion in the NAC Study required enrollment in the Pediatric Acute Liver Failure (PALF) Study Registry.

Detailed description:
The Pediatric Acute Liver Failure (PALF) Study Group to identify, characterize, and develop management strategies for infants, children and adolescents who present with acute liver failure. The PALF study group includes 20 sites (17 in the United States, 2 in the United Kingdom, and 1 in Canada). The primary objective of the Pediatric Acute Liver Failure (PALF) study is to collect, maintain, analyze, and report clinical, epidemiological, and outcome data in children with ALF, including information derived from biospecimens.

Patients enrolled in the PALF study registry were able to enroll in the NAC study providing they met the additional required inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Arms:
arm 1: Eligible children were adaptively allocated by age (less than 2 years of age or at least 2 years old) and hepatic encephalopathy (grade 0-1 or 2-4) to receive N-acetylcysteine (150 mg/kg/d) in 5% dextrose (D5W) infused over 24 hours for up to 7 consecutive days arm 2: Eligible children were adaptively allocated within strata defined by age (less than 2 years of age or at least 2 years old) and hepatic encephalopathy (grade 0-1 or 2-4) to receive 5% dextrose (D5W) infused over 24 hours for up to 7 consecutive

Interventions: intervention 1: N-acetylcysteine intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: The study drug is administered as a continuous infusion at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day for up to 7 days following entry into the study. The infusion is discontinued at the time of death, liver transplant or discharge. intervention 2: Eligible children were adaptively allocated within strata defined by age (less than 2 years of age or at least 2 years old) and hepatic encephalopathy (grade 0-1 or 2-4) to receive N-acetylcysteine (150 mg/kg/d) in 5% dextrose (D5W) and water or placebo consisting of an equal volume of D5W alone. Volumes were adjusted for small children. Study medications were infused over 24 hours for up to 7 consecutive days in a dedicated line without other medications. Treatment was stopped earlier than 7 days in the case of hospital discharge, liver transplantation, or death within 7 days of randomization.

Protocol document: