Tier 1 — highest

N-acetylcysteine for non-paracetamol (acetaminophen)-related acute liver failure

Jacky Tp Siu, Trina Nguyen, Ricky D Turgeon
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020 12(12):CD012123

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 33294991
PubMed Central
PMC8095024
DOI
10.1002/14651858.CD012123.pub2
Funding
Funding disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full funding statement.
Competing interests
Competing-interest disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full declaration.

Study snapshot

DesignCochrane systematic review of randomized trials
ModelHuman
Sample2 randomized trials: 183 adults and 174 children
InterventionNAC versus placebo or no NAC
DurationAcute liver failure treatment
EndpointsMortality; Liver transplantation; Adverse events

What the study showed, in plain terms

High-rigor review assessing whether NAC benefits non-acetaminophen acute liver failure.

Key findings

Evidence was inconclusive for mortality or transplantation, with low certainty and substantial clinical heterogeneity.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Only two randomized trials, both at high risk of bias and involving different age groups and protocols.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology