Guidelines Created To Help Prevent Drug Induced Liver Injury

The liver is the organ in the body that is responsible for processing and filtering medications through the body. That’s why taking medications with certain ingredients or taking too much of a drug can have seriously adverse effects on the organ, known as a drug induced liver injury.
In order to address these hazards, the American College of Gastroenterology has created a set of guidelines for diagnosing and managing these injuries. The results were published in a recent issue of Gastroenterology and showed dietary and workout supplements were among the leading cause for drug induced liver injury in the United States today. They added this is why it is so important that doctors have a patient’s full medical history—including their use of over-the-counter products—when considering a drug induced liver injury as the cause of a patient’s problems.
The publication went on to offer an algorithm that can be used by doctors to deduce when a patient is possibly suffering from a liver ailment. The hope is that this information can provide a uniform method for doctors to provide a more consistent and accurate diagnosis of drug induced liver injury in patients.
At Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers, our team of St. Louis personal injury attorneys recognizes the impact this set of guidelines will have on medical practices across the nation. That’s why we encourage both doctors and patients to familiarize themselves with the risks and symptoms of a drug induced liver injury.