Drug-Related Hepatotoxicity

In this review, we define hepatotoxicity as injury to the liver that is associated with impaired liver function caused by exposure to a drug or another noninfectious agent. The distinction between injury and function is important, because it is mainly when function is impaired that symptoms and clinically significant disease follow. We are especially concerned with serious drug-related hepatotoxicity that is disabling or life-threatening or that requires hospitalization. Although drug-related hepatotoxicity is uncommon — for many drugs, the reported incidence is between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 100,000 patients1 — its true incidence is difficult to determine. The numbers . . .

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/354/7/731