Source Department of Intensive Care, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

This report describes the effect of liver transplantation on transcerebral ammonia uptake in a case of fulminant hepatic failure. A young woman with fulminant hepatic failure and coma received monitoring of transcerebral ammonia uptake before and after orthotopic liver transplantation. Before liver transplantation, median transcerebral ammonia uptake was 8 µmol/L. After liver transplantation, ammonia uptake decreased to 0 µmol/L. Fulminant hepatic failure is associated with transcerebral ammonia uptake, which is fully and rapidly corrected by liver transplantation.