What is the final stage of Cirrhosis of the Liver?

What symptoms tell you that the final stage has arrived and there is no chance of survival?

When your heart stops beating and you don't breathe.

"Cirrhosis is a general term for end-stage liver disease, which can have many causes and which disrupts normal liver tissue. Cirrhosis has no cure, but removing the ultimate cause can slow the disease."

AND:

"The scar tissue hinders the liver's ability to perform its normal functions, such as clearing toxins, forming proteins, and storing energy. Other problems may result.

***Portal hypertension: High pressures within blood vessels of the liver occur in 60% of people who have cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the most common cause of portal hypertension in the United States. You may suffer from bleeding into the intestines and fluid accumulation throughout your body.
***Hepatic encephalopathy: In this condition, toxins build up in your bloodstream because your scarred liver is unable to rid them from your body. The toxins can cause you to behave bizarrely, to become confused, and to no longer be able to take care of yourself or others.
***Gastrointestinal bleeding: Portal hypertension causes bleeding from varicose veins in your esophagus, which can be life threatening.
***Infection: Fluid can accumulate in your abdomen and become infected. If you have cirrhosis, you are at risk for many infections because your liver cannot form the proteins needed to fight off infection.
***Fluid (ascites): High pressures (portal hypertension) force fluid out of blood vessels in your liver, pooling it in your abdomen. Several liters of blood can pool in your abdomen, causing pain, swelling, difficulty breathing, and dehydration.
***Fluid retention: As fluid pools in your abdomen, your kidneys will try to hold onto more water, because they think your body is dehydrated. The excess fluid collects in your lungs, legs, and abdomen."

http://www.emedicine.com/aaem/topic111.h...

this is not a direct answer to your question, because I don't medically know the answer. I do know that:

If someone with cirrhosis begins acting as though they have Alzheimers (or dementia) it's an extremely bad sign. I believe it means the disease has reached the brain. That was when I realized my dad was pretty bad and probably wasn't 'coming back.' -- but death wasn't imminent.

Best of luck.

When the albumin level goes below 1.9mg, when the yellow jaundice is noticeable from across the room, when the belly is swollen with really tight stretched skin, when the hallucinations are unrelenting, when coma sets in, when vomiting blood, Either needs a transplant or will die.

There is not one symptom that death is imminent. Assuming that no extrordinary measures are taken to sustain life and excluding a bleedout and heart failure where death may be sudden it is often going into a coma that is indicative of the end. When this is followed by renal failure there is little chance of survival without intervention.

my husband died of cirrhosis caused form hepatitis c.
He had ascites; swelling of the abdomen
encephalopathy; memory loss, unconsciousness.
very low blood platelet count, very thin blood; hemorrhage
swollen ankles and legs
weight loss no appetite
very bad muscle spasms in calf muscles
stomach and abdominal pain
Jaundice yellowish tint to skin and whites of eyes.

Many people show varied symptoms as the cirrhosis progresses. You will get all the necessary information at :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_cirrh...

Stage 4 liver damage means cirrhosis, but there are two stages of cirrhosis: cirrhosis with compensation, and cirrhosis with decompensation. Decompensation is usually referred to as ESLD (end stage liver disease). When there is decompensation, the liver is functioning below 10% of it's ability, and it can't perform the most basic functions without significant signs of damage. Some of the signs that someone is in end stage are: ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdomen; difficult to breathe and needs to be drained in the hospital), esophageal varices & vomiting blood due to a burst blood vessel because the blood can no longer get through the damaged liver causing high blood pressure & bursting of veins (this is life threatening, but can be "banded" to stop the bleeding), hepatic encephalopathy (confusion & cognitive problems due to a build up of ammonia in the blood because the liver cannot filter nutrients anymore), spider angiomas, and more. If someone is in end stage then they should be evaluated to see if a transplant is an option. I have know many people who have been transplanted and all of them are doing great and leading normal lives. I also know many people that are in cirrhosis (with compensation) and are managing very well. Some people can have cirrhosis and it doesn't progress much IF they take extra good care of their diet & health. Hope this helps. Best wishes.