Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32690747›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2020

Systematic review of the global epidemiology of viral-induced acute liver failure.

Jenna Patterson, Hannah Sophia Hussey, Sheetal Silal, Liz Goddard, Mashiko Setshedi, Wendy Spearman, Gregory D Hussey, Benjamin M Kagina, Rudzani Muloiwa

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Liver support systems for adults with acute liver failure.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. [Global differences and challenges in the definition of acute liver failure].Zhonghua gan zang bing za zhi = Zhonghua ganzangbing zazhi = Chinese journal of hepatology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Acute liver failure and liver transplantation.Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology · 2025
    Review
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Viral etiologies of acute liver failure.World journal of virology · 2024
    Review
  13. Article
  14. [Research progress on hepatitis E virus-related liver failure].Zhonghua gan zang bing za zhi = Zhonghua ganzangbing zazhi = Chinese journal of hepatology · 2024
    Review
  15. Review
  16. [Advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric acute liver failure].Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics · 2024
    Review
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Jenna PattersonVaccines for Africa Initiative, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa PTTJEN005@myuct.ac.za.ORCID 0000-0002-3927-037X
Hannah Sophia HusseyVaccines for Africa Initiative, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.
Sheetal SilalDepartment of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Liz GoddardDepartment of Paediatrics, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Mashiko SetshediDepartment of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Wendy SpearmanDepartment of Medicine, Division of Hepatology, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Gregory D HusseyVaccines for Africa Initiative, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.
Benjamin M KaginaVaccines for Africa Initiative, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.
Rudzani MuloiwaVaccines for Africa Initiative, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.
University of Cape Town · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe aetiology and burden of viral-induced acute liver failure remains unclear globally. It is important to understand the epidemiology of viral-induced ALF to plan for clinical case management and case prevention.

participantsThis systematic review was conducted to synthesize data on the relative contribution of different viruses to the aetiology of viral-induced acute liver failure in an attempt to compile evidence that is currently missing in the field. EBSCOhost, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for relevant literature published from 2009 to 2019. The initial search was run on 9 April 2019 and updated via PubMed on 30 September 2019 with no new eligible studies to include. Twenty-five eligible studies were included in the results of this review.

resultsThis systematic review estimated the burden of acute liver failure after infection with hepatitis B virus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis E virus, herpes simplex virus/human herpesvirus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and parvovirus B19. Data were largely missing for acute liver failure after infection with varicella-zostervirus, human parainfluenza viruses, yellow fever virus, coxsackievirus and/or adenovirus. The prevalence of hepatitis A-induced acute liver failur was markedly lower in countries with routine hepatitis A immunisation versus no routine hepatitis A immunisation. Hepatitis E virus was the most common aetiological cause of viral-induced acute liver failure reported in this review. In addition, viral-induced acute liver failure had poor outcomes as indicated by high fatality rates, which appear to increase with poor economic status of the studied countries.

conclusionsImmunisation against hepatitis A and hepatitis B should be prioritised in low-income and middle-income countries to prevent high viral-induced acute liver failure mortality rates, especially in settings where resources for managing acute liver failure are lacking. The expanded use of hepatitis E immunisation should be explored as hepatitis E virus was the most common cause of acute liver failure. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017079730.

Indexed as

Epstein-Barr Virus InfectionsLiver Failure, AcuteVirus DiseasesCytomegalovirusHerpesvirus 4, HumanHumansepidemiologyhepatologyvirology

Identifiers

PMID32690747
PMCPMC7375632
OpenAlexW3044992276

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.