ALF
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Assisted living facility |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
ALF has two meanings. It stands for Assisted living facility (hospital) or Acute liver failure (gastroenterology).
Meanings of ALF at a glance
| # | ALF stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assisted living facility | Medical › Hospital |
| 2 | Acute liver failure | Medical › Gastroenterology |
1. Assisted living facility
Medical · Hospital Abbreviations
Residential setting providing housing, meals, medication help and personal care for adults who need some assistance but not continuous skilled nursing. Residents usually live in private apartments.
Example: Discharge plan: return to ALF with home health PT; ALF nurse updated.
Assisted living is regulated by states, not by federal nursing home rules, so services and staffing vary widely. Medicare does not cover room and board, though some state Medicaid waivers help. In hepatology ALF means acute liver failure.
2. Acute liver failure
Medical · Gastroenterology Abbreviations
Rapid loss of liver function in a person without preexisting liver disease, defined by coagulopathy (INR of 1.5 or more) and any degree of encephalopathy within 26 weeks of illness onset. In the US, acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause; others include viral hepatitis, drugs and autoimmune disease.
Example: ALF after acetaminophen ingestion: INR 4.1, grade 2 encephalopathy; transfer to transplant center, continue NAC.
Also called fulminant hepatic failure. The King's College criteria help identify patients likely to need emergency transplantation. N-acetylcysteine benefits acetaminophen cases and some non-acetaminophen cases. Cerebral edema from high ammonia is a major cause of death. It differs from acute-on-chronic liver failure, which occurs on top of cirrhosis.
Related abbreviations
More hospital abbreviations
- ADC – Average daily census
- ADON – Assistant director of nursing
- AIIR – Airborne infection isolation room
- ALC – Alternate level of care
- ALOS – Average length of stay
- AMC – Academic medical center
- AOD – Administrator on duty
- ASC – Ambulatory surgery center
See all 89 hospital abbreviations →
More gastroenterology abbreviations
- AH – Alcohol-associated hepatitis
- AIH – Autoimmune hepatitis
- ALD – Alcohol-associated liver disease
- AP – Acute pancreatitis
- APC – Argon plasma coagulation
- BE – Barrett's esophagus
- BRBPR – Bright red blood per rectum
- CD – Crohn's disease
See all 85 gastroenterology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.