hepatic and biliary disorders
Liver Injury Caused by Drugs
Key Points
Drugs are much more likely to cause an asymptomatic abnormality in liver function than clinically evident liver damage or dysfunction. Risk factors for drug-induced liver injury (DILI) include age ≥ 18 years, obesity, pregnancy, concomitant alcohol consumption, and certain genetic polymorphisms. DILI can be predictable and dose-related or unpredictable and unrelated to dose. DILI can be hepatocellular, cholestatic (usually less serious than hepatocellular), or mixed. To confirm the diagnosis, exclude other causes of liver disease, especially viral, biliary, alcoholic, autoimmune, and metabolic disorders. Do not rechallenge patients with drugs suspected of causing DILI. 