Point-of-care continuous 13C-methacetin breath test improves decision making in acute liver disease: Results of a pilot clinical trial

Figure 2 The clinical course of a patient with fulminant auto-immune hepatitis. A: Upon admission, aminotransferase levels were well above 10 × ULN, INR was increased, and breath test values were low. The patient received treatment with steroids and recovered rapidly. The breath test values normalized within 3 d, but blood tests began normalizing 2 d later; B: Despite therapy with steroids, this patient failed to improve, developed gram negative sepsis, and died. Note that despite stable blood tests, there was a lack of improvement in breath test values. The low breath test values may have been a negative prognostic factor in this patient and may have provided a rationale for early transplantation.