Positive fluid balance was associated with mortality in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure: A cohort study.

Abstract

We aimed to study the effect of FB in the outcomes of critically-ill patients with cirrhosis. Retrospective analysis of all adult consecutive admissions of patients with cirrhosis and organ failures to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Curry Cabral Hospital (Lisbon, Portugal) and University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Canada) on 08/2013-08/2017. Primary exposure was FB at 3 and 7days post ICU admission. Primary endpoint was hospital mortality. Amongst 333 patients, median age was 56years and 67.6% were men. Median MELD, APACHEII, CLIF-SOFA, and CLIF-C-ACLF scores on ICU admission were 27, 28, 14, and 54, respectively. ICU and hospital mortality rates were 33.0% and 49.2%, respectively. While median FB at 3days post ICU admission (+5.46l vs. +6.62l; P=0.74) was not associated with hospital mortality, higher median FB at 7days post ICU admission (+13.50l vs. +6.90l; P=0.036) was associated with higher hospital mortality. This association remained significant (OR 95%CI=1.04 [1.01;1.07] per each l) after adjustment for confounders (age, ascites, infection, lactate, and number of organ failures). FB may be a therapeutic target that helps to improve the outcomes of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure. This data may inform future clinical trials.