Knowledge Portal
Alcohol-associated hepatitis
Alcohol-associated hepatitis is an acute inflammatory syndrome characterised by recent jaundice after sustained harmful alcohol use, often on a background of previously unrecognised chronic liver disease. Severe disease carries substantial short-term risk from infection, AKI, gastrointestinal bleeding and multiorgan failure. Management requires diagnostic discipline, nutrition, systematic infection assessment, careful selection and early reassessment of corticosteroids, treatment of alcohol withdrawal and alcohol use disorder, and early transplant discussion for selected non-responders. Stigmatising language and arbitrary abstinence rules should not substitute for multidisciplinary assessment.
Key information
Guidelines and position statements
Relevant clinical practice guidelines, practice guidance, consensus statements and position papers from professional bodies and expert groups.
ACG Clinical Guideline: Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
American College of Gastroenterology · guideline · 2024
Current recommendations on diagnosis, severity, nutrition, corticosteroids, alcohol use disorder and transplantation.
Open resource →EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of alcohol-related liver disease
EASL · guideline · 2018
European guidance covering screening, alcohol withdrawal, alcohol-associated hepatitis and long-term care.
Open resource →Further context
Other useful resources
Selected review articles, practical explainers, expert discussions, reference sites and e-learning from established providers.
Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis: Short- and Long-Term Management
De La Torre SA Jr, Morcos M, Saab S, Shetty A. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 2025;70(1):74–84.
A practical review that connects inpatient assessment and treatment with relapse prevention and longer-term care.
Open resource →Current Medical Treatment of Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease: Nutrition and Pharmacological
Hardesty JE, McClain CJ. Clinics in Liver Disease. 2024;28(4):731–745.
A focused account of nutritional therapy, corticosteroids and emerging pharmacological strategies.
Open resource →Alcohol-associated liver disease: Natural history, management and novel targeted therapies
Alvarado-Tapias E, et al. Clinical and Molecular Hepatology. 2025;31(Suppl):S112–S133.
A comprehensive open-access review that places alcohol-associated hepatitis within the wider disease trajectory.
Open resource →Rethinking Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis Practice
AASLD Liver Fellow Network · evidence explainer · 2025
A clinically grounded discussion of evidence that challenges familiar but weakly supported practices.
Open resource →Why the 6-Month Sobriety Rule for Liver Transplantation Is Being Abandoned
AASLD Liver Fellow Network · clinical explainer · 2025
An accessible account of modern psychosocial assessment and early transplantation for selected patients.
Open resource →