Final answer:
The most lethal consequence of elevated ammonia levels in the blood for patients with severe liver dysfunction is hepatic encephalopathy, which is a serious brain disorder caused by a failing liver's inability to detoxify the blood effectively. The correct option is a) Hepatic encephalopathy
Step-by-step explanation:
Patients with severe liver dysfunction often have a higher level of ammonia in their blood compared to systemic blood due to impaired protein metabolism and a failing urea cycle, which can result in ammonia intoxication.
Ammonia, being a toxic byproduct, has the most lethal consequence when it leads to hepatic encephalopathy, a reversible neuropsychiatric abnormality seen in the setting of liver failure.
This condition can manifest as confusion, stupor, and even coma, and arises because the damaged liver cannot effectively detoxify substances from the blood, allowing toxic levels of ammonia to impair brain function. The correct option is a) Hepatic encephalopathy