What is liver coma?

A very bad event: When a patient has liver failure for any reason (cirrhosis?), the normal detoxification mechanisms are defective and a patient develops a metabolic encephalopathy. If severe, coma ensues, and this can be definitely life threatening. Brain function is secondarily disrupted, perhaps profoundly. Intensive care treatment is mandatory.

Potential Recovery: The best thing about "liver coma" is that it is potentially recoverable. Many patients with cirrhosis of the liver will eventually succumb to liver failure. Sometimes this is self-limited as a result of infection or bleeding and is noticeable first as altered mental status, or "liver coma". This can be reversible after treatment of infection or bleeding.