Palliative care and end stage liver disease: A survey study comparing perspectives of hepatology and palliative care physicians and clinical scenarios that could require palliative care intervention.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prevalence and mortality of chronic liver disease has risen significantly. In end stage liver disease (ESLD) the survival of patients is approximately 2 years. Despite the poor prognosis and high symptom burden of these patients, integration of palliative care is reduced. We aim to analyze the agreement between palliative care and hepatology physicians of clinical scenarios that could require palliative care intervention. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Palliative care and hepatology physicians were surveyed. Using a five-point Likert scale, their perceptions of palliative care in ESLD were rated. Their agreement in clinical scenarios that could require palliative care intervention were evaluated. Analyses were conducted to assess any differences by primary role (hepatology vs. palliative care) and length of practice (<10 years vs. 10 years). RESULTS: A total of 123 responses were obtained: 52% from palliative care and 48% from hepatology. The majority (66.7%) work in the field for up to ten years. There was a great consensus in 4 of the 8 clinical scenarios. In scenarios with less consensus, the area of activity and length of practice influence the reliance of physicians on palliative care. Involvement of palliative care in ESLD was considered "rare" by 30% and 61% consider difficult to predict the prognosis. More than 90% support medical training in both areas of activity. CONCLUSION: The current involvement of palliative care is considered low, but there are clinical conditions that reveal a clear consensus and there's a unanimous view of the relevance of training.

The influence of carvedilol posology timing on clinically significant portal hypertension: insights from elastography measurements.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Carvedilol has emerged as the preferred ß-blocker for treating portal hypertension. However, there is still a debate in dosing regimen, with a potential lower bioavailability in once-daily regimens. The aim of this study is to assess the acute effects of carvedilol posology in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), as a surrogate marker of bioavailability. METHODS: In this experimental study, 34 patients with CSPH receiving carvedilol twice daily were asked to suppress the night dose of carvedilol, creating a standardized 24-hour dose interval. Spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography (TE) were performed, with the exact interval between the last carvedilol administration and TE measurements consistently maintained at 24 hours and compared with values prior and under treatment. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were included, predominantly male (82.9%). SSM after suspending carvedilol for 24 hours [mean, 73.9kPa (SD, 17.0)] was significantly higher ( P < 0.001) than under treatment [mean, 56.3kPa (SD, 13.2)] and was not significantly different ( P = 0.908) from SSM prior to introduction of carvedilol [mean, 74.5kPa (SD, 12.4)]. Differences were also found in stratified analysis for carvedilol dosage, D'Amico classification stages, MELDNa scores, MELD3.0 scores, Child-Pugh class A and CSPH due to alcoholic cirrhosis. LSM after suspension was not significantly different from both under treatment and prior to treatment. CONCLUSION: The differences in SSM after skipping one dose of carvedilol show both the importance of strict adherence to the prescribed dosing regimen to achieve the expected therapeutic benefits and the impact of twice daily prescription in bioavailability throughout the day.

PREDICT identifies precipitating events associated with the clinical course of acutely decompensated cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis may present without acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) (AD-No ACLF), or with ACLF (AD-ACLF), defined by organ failure(s). Herein, we aimed to analyze and characterize the precipitants leading to both of these AD phenotypes. METHODS: The multicenter, prospective, observational PREDICT study (NCT03056612) included 1,273 non-electively hospitalized patients with AD (No ACLF = 1,071; ACLF = 202). Medical history, clinical data and laboratory data were collected at enrolment and during 90-day follow-up, with particular attention given to the following characteristics of precipitants: induction of organ dysfunction or failure, systemic inflammation, chronology, intensity, and relationship to outcome. RESULTS: Among various clinical events, 4 distinct events were precipitants consistently related to AD: proven bacterial infections, severe alcoholic hepatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding with shock and toxic encephalopathy. Among patients with precipitants in the AD-No ACLF cohort and the AD-ACLF cohort (38% and 71%, respectively), almost all (96% and 97%, respectively) showed proven bacterial infection and severe alcoholic hepatitis, either alone or in combination with other events. Survival was similar in patients with proven bacterial infections or severe alcoholic hepatitis in both AD phenotypes. The number of precipitants was associated with significantly increased 90-day mortality and was paralleled by increasing levels of surrogates for systemic inflammation. Importantly, adequate first-line antibiotic treatment of proven bacterial infections was associated with a lower ACLF development rate and lower 90-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified precipitants that are significantly associated with a distinct clinical course and prognosis in patients with AD. Specific preventive and therapeutic strategies targeting these events may improve outcomes in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. LAY SUMMARY: Acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis is characterized by a rapid deterioration in patient health. Herein, we aimed to analyze the precipitating events that cause AD in patients with cirrhosis. Proven bacterial infections and severe alcoholic hepatitis, either alone or in combination, accounted for almost all (96-97%) cases of AD and acute-on-chronic liver failure. Whilst the type of precipitant was not associated with mortality, the number of precipitant(s) was. This study identified precipitants that are significantly associated with a distinct clinical course and prognosis of patients with AD. Specific preventive and therapeutic strategies targeting these events may improve patient outcomes.

The PREDICT study uncovers three clinical courses of acutely decompensated cirrhosis that have distinct pathophysiology.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis is defined as the acute development of ascites, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatic encephalopathy, infection or any combination thereof, requiring hospitalization. The presence of organ failure(s) in patients with AD defines acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). The PREDICT study is a European, prospective, observational study, designed to characterize the clinical course of AD and to identify predictors of ACLF. METHODS: A total of 1,071 patients with AD were enrolled. We collected detailed pre-specified information on the 3-month period prior to enrollment, and clinical and laboratory data at enrollment. Patients were then closely followed up for 3 months. Outcomes (liver transplantation and death) at 1 year were also recorded. RESULTS: Three groups of patients were identified. Pre-ACLF patients (n = 218) developed ACLF and had 3-month and 1-year mortality rates of 53.7% and 67.4%, respectively. Unstable decompensated cirrhosis (UDC) patients (n = 233) required ≥1 readmission but did not develop ACLF and had mortality rates of 21.0% and 35.6%, respectively. Stable decompensated cirrhosis (SDC) patients (n = 620) were not readmitted, did not develop ACLF and had a 1-year mortality rate of only 9.5%. The 3 groups differed significantly regarding the grade and course of systemic inflammation (high-grade at enrollment with aggravation during follow-up in pre-ACLF; low-grade at enrollment with subsequent steady-course in UDC; and low-grade at enrollment with subsequent improvement in SDC) and the prevalence of surrogates of severe portal hypertension throughout the study (high in UDC vs. low in pre-ACLF and SDC). CONCLUSIONS: Acute decompensation without ACLF is a heterogeneous condition with 3 different clinical courses and 2 major pathophysiological mechanisms: systemic inflammation and portal hypertension. Predicting the development of ACLF remains a major future challenge. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV NUMBER: NCT03056612. LAY SUMMARY: Herein, we describe, for the first time, 3 different clinical courses of acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis after hospital admission. The first clinical course includes patients who develop acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and have a high short-term risk of death - termed pre-ACLF. The second clinical course (unstable decompensated cirrhosis) includes patients requiring frequent hospitalizations unrelated to ACLF and is associated with a lower mortality risk than pre-ACLF. Finally, the third clinical course (stable decompensated cirrhosis), includes two-thirds of all patients admitted to hospital with AD - patients in this group rarely require hospital admission and have a much lower 1-year mortality risk.

[Hepatitis C in drug addicts: access and treatment compliance]. / Hepatite C em toxicodependentes: acompanhamento e acesso à terapêutica.

Currently, hepatitis C is a serious public health problem. It is estimated that there are 180 million people with chronic infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV) worldwide and that the prevalence of this infection in the Portuguese population ranges between 1 and 1.5%. In Portugal, there are neither up-to-date guidelines for treatment, nor recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with HCV and, in particular, for the endovenous drug users. The present article gathers consensus information regarding clinical practice and suggests some guidelines to the management and treatment accessibility of drug addicted patients with chronic infection by HCV, in Portugal.