HERBAL DRUG INDUCED ACUTE FULMINANT HEPATIC FAILURE
Author(s): Goutham Kumar AP* and Suresh Kanna S
Abstract
The use of Herbal medications and dietary herbal supplements are widely increasing for various health benefits in which majority of them are scientifically not proven. Herbal medications are poorly standardized and easily obtainable. Herbal and ayurvedic drugs are being falsely believed to be safe, harmless and minimal side effects. Cases of herbal drug induced hepatocellular damage are being widely reported across the world An extensive retrospective review of 313 DILI cases from India over a 12-year span (1997-2008) revealed an overall mortality of17.3%, which was mostly attributed to the usage of anti-tuberculosis drugs. Only 1.3% of cases—mostly those treated with Ayurvedic medicines—were linked to HDS. Nevertheless, 50% of the patients with HDS-related DILI passed away. Despite HDS's growing popularity in India, the authors hypothesized that the higher mortality seen may be related to the fact that HDS are increasingly administered after the development of jaundice from viral hepatitis. Additionally, individuals who have HDS that has been contaminated with lead and arsenic more frequently than those who have hepatitis manifest with constitutional and neurological symptoms. For the purposes of this study, HDS refers to any practices classified as traditional, alternative, or supplementary in the West as well as Unani, Ayurveda, Kampo, and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Africa and Asia (15).