Editing Terminal illness (section)

=== Transplant ===
For patients with end stage [[kidney failure]], studies have shown that transplants increase the quality of life and decreases mortality in this population. In order to be placed on the organ transplant list, patients are referred and assessed based on criteria that ranges from current comorbidities to potential for organ rejection post transplant. Initial screening measures include: blood tests, pregnancy tests, serologic tests, urinalysis, drug screening, imaging, and physical exams.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Suthanthiran|first1=M.|last2=Strom|first2=T. B.|date=1994-08-11|title=Renal transplantation|journal=The New England Journal of Medicine|volume=331|issue=6|pages=365–376|doi=10.1056/NEJM199408113310606|issn=0028-4793|pmid=7832839}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kasiske|first1=B. L.|last2=Ramos|first2=E. L.|last3=Gaston|first3=R. S.|last4=Bia|first4=M. J.|last5=Danovitch|first5=G. M.|last6=Bowen|first6=P. A.|last7=Lundin|first7=P. A.|last8=Murphy|first8=K. J.|date=July 1995|title=The evaluation of renal transplant candidates: clinical practice guidelines. Patient Care and Education Committee of the American Society of Transplant Physicians|journal=Journal of the American Society of Nephrology |volume=6|issue=1|pages=1–34|doi=10.1681/ASN.V611|issn=1046-6673|pmid=7579061|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Steinman|first1=T. I.|last2=Becker|first2=B. N.|last3=Frost|first3=A. E.|last4=Olthoff|first4=K. M.|last5=Smart|first5=F. W.|last6=Suki|first6=W. N.|last7=Wilkinson|first7=A. H.|last8=Clinical Practice Committee, American Society of Transplantation|date=2001-05-15|title=Guidelines for the referral and management of patients eligible for solid organ transplantation|journal=Transplantation|volume=71|issue=9|pages=1189–1204|doi=10.1097/00007890-200105150-00001|issn=0041-1337|pmid=11397947|s2cid=39592793|doi-access=free}}</ref>

For patients who are interested in liver transplantation, patients with acute liver failure have the highest priority over patients with only cirrhosis.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ostapowicz|first1=George|last2=Fontana|first2=Robert J.|last3=Schiødt|first3=Frank V.|last4=Larson|first4=Anne|last5=Davern|first5=Timothy J.|last6=Han|first6=Steven H. B.|last7=McCashland|first7=Timothy M.|last8=Shakil|first8=A. Obaid|last9=Hay|first9=J. Eileen|date=2002-12-17|title=Results of a prospective study of acute liver failure at 17 tertiary care centers in the United States|journal=Annals of Internal Medicine|volume=137|issue=12|pages=947–954|doi=10.7326/0003-4819-137-12-200212170-00007|issn=1539-3704|pmid=12484709|s2cid=11390513}}</ref> Acute liver failure patients will present with worsening symptoms of somnolence or confusion (hepatic encephalopathy) and thinner blood (increased INR) due to the liver's inability to make clotting factors.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lee|first=W. M.|date=1993-12-16|title=Acute liver failure|journal=The New England Journal of Medicine|volume=329|issue=25|pages=1862–1872|doi=10.1056/NEJM199312163292508|issn=0028-4793|pmid=8305063}}</ref> Some patients could experience portal hypertension, hemorrhages, and abdominal swelling (ascites). Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) is often used to help providers decide and prioritize candidates for transplant.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/governance/policies/|title=Policies - OPTN|website=optn.transplant.hrsa.gov|access-date=2019-08-02}}</ref>