Table 3.

Therapeutic Benefit of N-Acetylcysteine in Patients with Liver Failure

Disease model	Therapeutic indication	Study type	Route of administration	Year of study
NAI-ALF (119)	“Recommend the use of NAC along with conventional treatments in patients with NAI-ALF in nontransplant centers while awaiting referrals and conclude the use of NAC as safe.”	Prospective randomized control trial	IV	2017
Acute liver failure without clinical or historical evidence of acetaminophen overdose (93)	“Intravenous NAC improves transplant-free survival in patients with early stage non-acetaminophen-related acute liver failure.”	Prospective, double-blind trial	IV	2011
NAI-ALF; no liver transplant center (117)	“The use of NAC causes reduction in NAI-ALF mortality and its use was safe.”	Prospective study	Oral	2009
Heat injury-mediated ischemic hepatitis (186)	“The use of NAC therapy in heat illness with ischemic hepatitis may prove most beneficial to those whose transition to a higher level of care is delayed or impossible.”	Case report	IV	2019

NAC and other antioxidant therapies may improve liver disease and inflammation in other organs of patients with systemic autoimmunity.

IV, intravenous; NAC, N-acetylcysteine; NAI-ALF, nonacetaminophen-induced acute liver failure.