Patients with decompensated cirrhosis or acute-on-chronic liver failure increasingly require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and are treated according to general intensive care principles, which may or may not be suitable for cirrhotic critically ill patients.

Indeed, there is insufficient evidence-based data concerning the appropriate management of those patients in the ICU, particularly related to adjusting and tailoring ICU measures such as hemodynamic and organ support to critically ill patients with cirrhosis. Moreover, there is also insufficient evidence of whether we can use the same recommendations for the management of complications of cirrhosis in the ICU, which were derived from studies performed outside the intensive care environment.

The aim of this Special Issue is to solicit original research articles highlighting the controversies in the management of critically ill patients with cirrhosis, and acute liver failure. Submissions focussing on critical care issues in cirrhosis, and further contributions in the field are particularly encouraged. Review articles discussing the state of the art are also welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Hemodynamic support in critically ill patients with cirrhosis
• Critical care management of patients with cirrhosis
• Infections in cirrhosis
• Sepsis and septic shock in patients with liver disease
• Acute-on-chronic liver failure
• Acute liver failure
• Acute kidney injury, and hepatorenal syndrome
• Hepatic encephalopathy
• Prognostic scores, and futility rules
• Liver transplantation in critically ill patients with cirrhosis
• Artificial, and bioartificial liver support systems