An exploratory analysis of patient factors influencing acceptance of extended criteria liver grafts.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: There is a shortage of ideal donor organs with consequential increasing waitlist times, drop-off, and mortality. Teams have thus extended the donor criteria. Little is known about patients' actual choices and what factors may influence their decisions regarding different extended criteria liver grafts. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The documented acceptance or refusal of seven extended criteria liver graft types of patients consented for transplant in a single institution over a 2-year period was reviewed. Patient factors including sex, age, indication, aetiology, and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score were analysed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Most patients were willing to accept most graft types. MELD score did not impact the acceptance or refusal of any graft type. Older patients and those with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or ascites had significantly higher rates of acceptance. Hepatitis B or C disease aetiology was predictive of willingness to accept a similarly infected graft, respectively. HCC was predictive of acceptance of grafts from donors with a cancer history. CONCLUSIONS: In general, patients embrace the available extended criteria donors. Our analysis suggests that consent should be revisited as patients deteriorate or ameliorate on the waitlist, especially if in the form of ascites or HCC but not necessarily MELD score.

A decade of rising alcoholic liver disease hospital admissions and deaths in Irish hospitals, 2007-2016: a retrospective cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of both liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Ireland. AIMS: The aim of the study was to identify the epidemiological profile, temporal trends, development of complications and mortality arising from inpatient care episodes linked to ALD in Ireland from 2007 to 2016. METHODS: This was a national retrospective study that analysed data on patient discharges from hospitals across Ireland. The Hospital Inpatient Enquiry System was used to gather this data. The main outcome measures were the number of hospital discharges for patients with ALD or HCC, also expressed per 100 000 population, the mortality rate associated with ALD and the prevalence of complications associated with ALD. RESULTS: A total of 33 794 hospital discharges were examined. There was a 38% increase in hospital discharges and 300% increase in HCC coding for patients with ALD between 2006 and 2016. There were 73 hospital discharges with ALD per 100 000 population in 2016. That year, 40 482 bed days were required for inpatient management equating to 120 beds per day. Deaths from ALD rose by 29% over the 10-year period. Cirrhosis was diagnosed in 57% and 24% had ascites. Mortality was 9.8% rising to 16% with variceal bleeding and 42% with acute kidney injury. Only 31% were under the care of a gastroenterologist or hepatologist. CONCLUSION: Ireland is seeing a rise in ALD-related hospital admissions and deaths, including HCC which increased three-fold. ALD is a preventable disease, and public health interventions are of proven benefit and required to reverse this trend.

Extracorporeal cellular therapy (ELAD) in severe alcoholic hepatitis: A multinational, prospective, controlled, randomized trial.

Severe alcoholic hepatitis (sAH) is associated with a poor prognosis. There is no proven effective treatment for sAH, which is why early transplantation has been increasingly discussed. Hepatoblastoma-derived C3A cells express anti-inflammatory proteins and growth factors and were tested in an extracorporeal cellular therapy (ELAD) study to establish their effect on survival for subjects with sAH. Adults with sAH, bilirubin ≥8 mg/dL, Maddrey's discriminant function ≥ 32, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score ≤ 35 were randomized to receive standard of care (SOC) only or 3-5 days of continuous ELAD treatment plus SOC. After a minimum follow-up of 91 days, overall survival (OS) was assessed by using a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. A total of 203 subjects were enrolled (96 ELAD and 107 SOC) at 40 sites worldwide. Comparison of baseline characteristics showed no significant differences between groups and within subgroups. There was no significant difference in serious adverse events between the 2 groups. In an analysis of the intent-to-treat population, there was no difference in OS (51.0% versus 49.5%). The study failed its primary and secondary end point in a population with sAH and with a MELD ranging from 18 to 35 and no upper age limit. In the prespecified analysis of subjects with MELD < 28 (n = 120), ELAD was associated with a trend toward higher OS at 91 days (68.6% versus 53.6%; P = .08). Regression analysis identified high creatinine and international normalized ratio, but not bilirubin, as the MELD components predicting negative outcomes with ELAD. A new trial investigating a potential benefit of ELAD in younger subjects with sufficient renal function and less severe coagulopathy has been initiated. Liver Transplantation 24 380-393 2018 AASLD.

An update on the diagnosis and management of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare disorder caused by hepatic venous outflow obstruction and resulting hepatic dysfunction. Despite a lack of prospective randomized trials, much progress has been made in its management over the last 20 years. The main goals of treatment are to ameliorate hepatic congestion and prevent further thrombosis. The selective use of anticoagulation, vascular stents, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunt and liver transplant has resulted in a significant increase in survival. The diagnosis, initial management and long-term follow-up of patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome is reviewed. The concept of individualization of treatment and a stepwise approach to invasive procedures is also discussed.

Gallbladder wall variceal haemorrhage with associated rupture: a rare cause of mortality in the cirrhotic patient.

Gallbladder wall varices are unusual ectopic varices, which occur in the setting of portal hypertension, usually but not universally associated with portal vein thrombosis. Rupture of these varices may lead to life-threatening intra abdominal haemorrhage and is associated with a high mortality rate. We report a case of gallbladder wall variceal haemorrhage in a cirrhotic patient with patent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, which resulted in death.