Diálisis de albúmina de paso único (SPAD) como soporte hepático extracorpóreo en paciente COVID-19 crítico. Caso clínico / Single-pass albumin dialysis as treatment of acute on chronic liver failure during COVID-19 pneumonia. report of one case

Liver transplantation is the only effective therapy to reduce the high mortality associated with acute liver failure and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF). Single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD) is an extracorporeal supportive therapy used as a bridge to liver transplantation or regeneration. We report a 44-year-old man with alcoholic cirrhosis admitted for critical COVID-19 pneumonia that evolves with ACLF. SPAD technique was performed completing six sessions, with a reduction of bilirubin and ammonia levels. He evolved with severe respiratory failure and refractory septic shock, dying. SPAD is a safe and efficient technique aimed to eliminate liver toxins, preventing multiorgan damage interrupting the process known as the "autointoxication hypothesis". It is easy to implement in any critical patient unit and has lower costs than other extracorporeal liver support therapies.

Interpretation of the American College of Gastroenterology clinical guidelines for acute-on-chronic liver failure / 中华肝脏病杂志

In January 2022, the American College of Gastroenterology released its first clinical guidelines, integrating the latest research, summarizing the three current definitions characteristics, and proposing recommendations and core viewpoints with important clinical practice value to guide diagnosis, treatment, and management of acute-on-chronic liver failure. This article interprets and summarizes the highlights of the guideline, raises controversial issues, and suggests directions for future research.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure: definition, diagnosis, and pathogenesis / 中华肝脏病杂志

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a form of complex syndrome with acute deterioration of liver function that occurs on the basis of chronic liver disease, and is accompanied by hepatic and extrahepatic organ failure with high mortality rate. The short-term mortality rate of comprehensive internal medicine treatment is as high as 50%-90%. This paper summarizes the current common definitions and diagnostic criteria, early-warning prediction models, and pathogenesis of ACLF.

Falla hepática aguda sobre crónica (ACLF), síndrome subdiagnosticado con alta mortalidad / Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), an underdiagnosed syndrome with high mortality

Acute on chronic liver failure is an increasingly recognized syndrome characterized by acute decompensation of chronic liver disease associated with organ failure and high short-term mortality. ACLF is frequent, affecting between 24 and 40% of patients admitted for complications of cirrhosis. Sepsis, active alcoholism, and relapse of chronic viral hepatitis are the most frequent precipitating factors. However, in up to 40%­50% of the cases of ACLF have no identifiable trigger. The stage of severity of Acute on chronic liver failure is very important because it allows us to stratify patients according to their prognosis, evaluate therapeutic response, determine transplant urgency, deciding intensive care unit admission, and also have a basis on which to decide therapeutic futility. (AU)

Falla hepática aguda sobre crónica (ACLF) ¿qué es, que sabemos y hacia dónde vamos? / Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) ¿what is it, what do we know about it and where are we going?

Acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is an increasingly recognized syndrome worldwide, in which there is great interest from different scientific societies and an increasing number of publications. It is defined as a syndrome of cirrhotic patients, characterized by the presence of acute decompensation, organ failure and high mortality rate in the short term. ACLF can be reversed using standard therapy in only 16-50% of patients, thus a prompt transfer to liver transplant center can make a difference in the survival chances of the patient.

La falla hepática aguda sobre crónica (ACLF, por su sigla en inglés) es un síndrome cada vez más reconocido a nivel mundial, que genera gran interés por parte de las distintas sociedades científicas y sobre el cual existe un número creciente de publicaciones. Se define como un síndrome de pacientes cirróticos, que se caracteriza por la presencia de una descompensación aguda, falla orgánica y elevada mortalidad a corto plazo. La reversibilidad de este síndrome con las medidas estándar es solo entre 16-50%, por lo que la derivación a un centro con disponibilidad de trasplante hepático puede hacer la diferencia en la sobrevida del paciente.

Prognostic factors of the short-term outcomes of patients with hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the baseline status of patients with hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure on short-term outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted that included a total of 138 patients with hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, from November 2013 to October 2016. The patients were divided into a poor prognosis group (74 patients) and a good prognosis group (64 patients) based on the disease outcome. General information, clinical indicators and prognostic scores of the patients' baseline status were analyzed, and a prediction model was established accordingly. RESULTS: Elder age, treatment with artificial liver support systems and the frequency of such treatments, high levels of white blood cells, neutrophils, neutrophil count/lymphocyte count ratio, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, total bilirubin, urea, and prognostic scores as well as low levels of albumin and sodium were all significantly associated with the short-term outcomes of hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure. The predictive model showed that logit (p) = 3.068 + 1.003 × neutrophil count/lymphocyte count ratio - 0.892 × gamma-glutamyl transferase - 1.138 × albumin - 1.364 × sodium + 1.651 × artificial liver support therapy. CONCLUSION: The neutrophil count/lymphocyte count ratio and serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase, albumin and sodium were independent risk factors predicting short-term outcomes of hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure, and the administration of multiple treatments with artificial liver support therapy during the early stage is conducive to improved short-term outcomes.

Falla hepática aguda sobre crónica / Acute-on chronic liver failure

The decompensation of liver cirrhosis secondary to an identifiable injury (mainly infections among the potential causes) associated to failure of one or more organs (particularly the kidney). Proinflammatory citokines are involved in pathophysiology, produced as a consequence of the injury that triggers the condition. Mortality factors are the Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA); Model-For-End-Stage-Liver Disease (MELD); number of organs affected, and presence of leukocytosis. No specific treatment has been described yet that might have an impact on the mortality rates, therefore emphasis should made on prevention and/or diagnosis for early treatment of injuries (pneumonia and Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis-SBP among others) in order to prevent synthesis of cytokines that have a role in its pathophysiology.

La falla hepática aguda sobre crónica corresponde a una situación de alta mortalidad, pero potencialmente reversible. Conceptualmente corresponde a la descompensación de la cirrosis hepática secundaria a un daño cuya etiología es muchas veces identificable (destacando las infecciones entre las posibles causas) asociada a la falla de uno o más órganos (especialmente el riñón). En su patogenia actúan en forma importante citoquinas proinflamatorias que se generan como consecuencia del daño que gatilla el cuadro. Son factores pronósticos de mortalidad el Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA); Model-For-End-Stage-Liver Disease (MELD); número de órganos disfuncionantes y existencia de leucocitosis. Aún no se ha descrito ningún tratamiento específico que impacte en la mortalidad del cuadro, por lo que se debe enfatizar en prevenir y/o diagnosticar para tratar precozmente las causas de daño (neumonía y peritonitis bacteriana espontánea- PBE entre otros) y así evitar la síntesis de citoquinas que participan en su patogenia.