Chronic Liver Failure-sequential Organ Failure Assessment Research Articles

Acute Liver Failure Prognostic Criteria: It's Time to Revisit.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a devastating disease, and patients are at a higher risk of death without liver transplantation. Indicators are needed to identify the risk of death in ALF, which will help in the timely referral of patients to specialized centers. Clichy criteriaand King's College Hospital (KCH) criteria are the most widely used prognostic criteria. Real-life application of Clichy criteria is limited due to the non-availability of factor V level measurement. KCH criteria have good specificity but low sensitivity to predict outcomes. Therefore, we attempted to use the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) score in ALF patients as prognostic indicators and need for liver transplantation. Forty-one patients with ALF were enrolled in the study. On the day of admission, MELD and CLIF-SOFA scores were calculated for each patient. Area under receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and diagnostic accuracy (DA) of MELD and CLIF-SOFA score were calculated to predict the outcome of the patients. Out of 41 patients, nine patients left against medical advice. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and DA for the MELD score of enrolled patients in the study were 81.5%, 62.5%, 59.5%, 83.3%, 70.1%, and for the CLIF-SOFA score of enrolled patients in the study were 88.9%, 90.0%, 85.7%, 92.3%, 89.6% respectively. Patients who did not survive had higher INR, MELD, CLIF-SOFA scores, and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) grades. Five patients who had a combination of MELD ≥30 and CLIF-SOFA ≥10, expired. In our study, we used MELD score and CLIF-SOFA as prognostic markers, and we concluded that CLIF-SOFA is a better predictor of mortality than MELD score in terms of sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV, and diagnostic accuracy. AUROC for CLIF-SOFA score is higher when compared to the MELD score.

New Algorithm Rules Out Acute-on-chronic Liver Failure Development within 28 Days from Acute Decompensation of Cirrhosis.

Approximately 10% of patients with acute decompensated (AD) cirrhosis develop acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) within 28 days. Such cases have high mortality and are difficult to predict. Therefore, we aimed to establish and validate an algorithm to identify these patients on hospitalization. Hospitalized patients with AD who developed ACLF within 28 days were considered pre-ACLF. Organ dysfunction was defined according to the chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) criteria, and proven bacterial infection was taken to indicate immune system dysfunction. A retrospective multicenter cohort and prospective one were used to derive and to validate the potential algorithm, respectively. A miss rate of <5% was acceptable for the calculating algorithm to rule out pre-ACLF. In the derivation cohort (n=673), 46 patients developed ACLF within 28 days. Serum total bilirubin, creatinine, international normalized ratio, and present proven bacterial infection at admission were associated with the development of ACLF. AD patients with ≥2 organ dysfunctions had a higher risk for pre-ACLF patients [odds ratio=16.581 95% confidence interval: (4.271-64.363), p<0.001]. In the derivation cohort, 67.5% of patients (454/673) had ≤1 organ dysfunction and two patients (0.4%) were pre-ACLF, with a miss rate of 4.3% (missed/total, 2/46). In the validation cohort, 65.9% of patients (914/1388) had ≤1 organ dysfunction, and four (0.3%) of them were pre-ACLF, with a miss rate of 3.4% (missed/total, 4/117). AD patients with ≤1 organ dysfunction had a significantly lower risk of developing ACLF within 28 days of admission and could be safely ruled out with a pre-ACLF miss rate of <5%.

Establishment of MELD-lactate clearance scoring system in predicting death risk of critically ill cirrhotic patients

BackgroundTo develop a scoring system related to the lactate clearance (ΔLA) to predict the mortality risk (MELD-ΔLA) for critically ill cirrhotic patients.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, 881 critically ill cirrhotic patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) database were included eventually. The outcomes of our study were defined as ICU death, 28-day, 90-day and 1-year mortality. Predictors were identified by multivariate Cox analysis to develop the predictive scoring system. The C-index and area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) were used to identify the predicting performance of the MELD-ΔLA, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA), the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), Child–Pugh, chronic liver failure consortium acute-on-chronic liver failure (CLIF-C ACLF), chronic liver failure consortium-acute decompensation (CLIF-C AD) and MELD-Na scoring systems. Additionally, subgroup analysis was also performed based on whether critically ill cirrhotic patients underwent liver transplantation.ResultsCreatinine, bilirubin, international normalized ratio (INR), lactate first, ΔLA and vasopressors were closely associated with ICU death of liver critically ill cirrhotic patients. The C-index of the MELD-ΔLA in ICU death was 0.768 (95% CI 0.736–0.799) and the AUC for the MELD-ΔLA scoring system in predicting 28-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality were 0.774 (95% CI 0.743–0.804), 0.765 (95% CI 0.735–0.796), and 0.757 (95% CI 0.726–0.788), suggested that MELD-ΔLA scoring system has a good predictive value than SOFA, CLIF-SOFA, MELD, Child–Pugh, CLIF-C ACLF, CLIF-C AD) and MELD-Na scoring systems. Additionally, the study also confirmed the good predictive value of MELD-ΔLA scoring system for critically ill cirrhotic patients regardless of undergoing liver transplantation.ConclusionThe developed MELD-ΔLA score is a simple scoring system in predicting the risk of ICU death, 28-day, 90-day and 1-year mortality for critically ill cirrhotic patients, which may have a good predictive performance.

Comparison of Scoring Systems for Prognosis in Cirrhotic Patients Admitted with Hepatic Encephalopathy

Objective: To compare various scoring systems to predict the prognosis in patients of cirrhosis presenting with hepatic encephalopathy at Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi.&#x0D; Study Design: Cross-sectional study.&#x0D; Place and Duration: Gastroenterology Department, Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Sep 2018 to Feb 2019.&#x0D; Methodology: This study was conducted on 55 patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and presetting with hepatic encephalopathy at our hospital. Diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy was made by a consultant gastroenterologist based on clinical findings and relevant investigations. Chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA), Model for end stage liver disease (MELD), and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) scores were calculated for all patients within the first 24 hours of presentation. Outcome in the study was patient either discharged or deceased at the end of study. Comparison was made between the three scores that which is a better predictor for prognosis of these patients.&#x0D; Results: Out of 55 patients included in the final analysis 35 were male and 20 were female. Commonest etiology of hepatic encephalopathy was Infection followed by Constipation.10 patients had grade 1 encephalopathy, 15 had grade 2, 20 had grade 3 while 10 had grade 4 encephalopathy. CLIF-SOFA emerged as better predictor for prognosis followed by MELD and CTP.&#x0D; Conclusion: CLIF-SOFA was the best of all scores in predicting the prognosis of patients suffering from liver cirrhosis presenting with hepatic encephalopathy. MELD and CTP were also significant in this regard but less as compared to CLIFSOFA.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure: Epidemiology, prognosis, and outcome of a multicenter study in Thai population.

Background and AimAcute‐on‐chronic liver failure (ACLF) leads to multi‐organ failure related to high mortality rates. This study aimed to gather epidemiological data and validate a scoring system to predict mortality in ACLF.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study collected data from multicenter tertiary care hospitals in Thailand. A total of 638 hospitalized patients (acute decompensated liver disease [ADLD], 292 patients; ACLF, 346 patients) from January 2019 to June 2020 were enrolled in this study. We compared the mortality rate at days 30 and 90 between patients with ADLD and ACLF. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves of chronic liver failure–sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF‐SOFA) and other existing scoring systems were compared among patients with ACLF.ResultsThe incidence of patients with ACLF was 54%. The main cause of chronic liver disease was alcohol (38%), with sepsis (50%) as the most common precipitating factor. ACLF with coagulopathy (AUROC 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52–0.64), metabolic acidosis (AUROC 0.58, 95% CI: 0.52–0.64), and high aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (AUROC 0.59, 95% CI: 0.53–0.66) were associated with high 30‐day mortality. The 30‐day mortality rate of patients with acute decompensation and patients with ACLF was 46 and 58%, respectively. Respiratory system (P = 0.001) failure was the major end result in ACLF and constituted a significant factor to predict mortality. The AUROC of CLIF‐SOFA score was superior to that of the other predicted score (AUROC 0.64, 95% CI: 0.585–0.704).ConclusionPatients with ACLF with more organ failure and high CLIF‐SOFA score were associated with high short‐term mortality. Future studies should include an ACLF prospective registry to confirm these finding.

Predicting in-hospital mortality of cirrhotic patients hospitalized with hepatic encephalopathy

BackgroundHepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a serious condition associated with high rates of mortality. Many scoring systems are used to predict the outcome of HE in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The most used scores are Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP), Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD), Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II). These scores were thoroughly investigated in HE associated with acute liver failure (type A). In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of these scores in patients with HE on a background of liver cirrhosis (type C). Two hundred cirrhotic patients hospitalized with HE were included in the study. Diagnosis and classification of HE were based on the West Haven criteria. APACHE II, CLIF-SOFA, MELD, MELD-Na, and CTP scores were calculated for all patients within the first 24 h after admission. According to survival outcomes, patients were categorized into either improved or deceased. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data as well as prognostic scores were compared in both deceased and improved groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted, and the area under the ROC curve (AUROC) was calculated for each score. Backward logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of mortality.Results60.5% of patients were males. The mean age was 61.09 ± 8.94 years. The main precipitating factors of HE was infections predominantly spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (n = 108, 54.0%) followed by variceal bleeding (n = 39, 19.5%). All scores were significantly higher in the deceased patients. AUROC were 0.734 (CI95% 0.666–0.803), 0.717 (CI95% 0.647–0.787), 0.663 (CI95% 0.589–0.738), 0.626 (CI95% 0.549–0.704), and 0.609 (CI95% 0.531–0.686) for CLIF-SOFA, MELD-Na, MELD, APACHE II, and CTP scores, respectively. MELD, MELD-Na, and CLIF-SOFA scores were the independent predictors of mortality. Among these scores, CLIF-SOFA was the strongest independent predictor of mortality (OR = 1.142, CI95% = 0.888–1.467, p = 0.001).ConclusionsCLIF-SOFA score was superior to other prognostic scores in predicting mortality in hospitalized patients with HE type C.

The Significant Morbidity and Mortality Indicators in Patients of Cirrhosis

Background: Cirrhosis progression varies greatly from patient to patient due to a variety of factors, including hepatic reserve, cirrhosis etiology, and the presence of hepatocellular cancer. As a result, determining a prognosis in a patient with cirrhosis remains a difficult task. For nearly three decades, the Child-Pugh score (CPS) has been the gold standard for determining the prognosis of cirrhosis. In the last two decades, many prognostic models and scores like a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) score, peripheral blood lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) have been presented to predict prognosis in patients with cirrhosis and to choose the best therapy option. The aim of our study is to determine which score is more effective in predicting three-month mortality and whether these scores are equally effective in predicting short-term outcomes.Materials & methods: In this hospital-based longitudinal study, we analyzed 140 patients with cirrhosis of liver visiting All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhopal between July 2019 and July 2020. All the 140 patients were followed up for three months to establish short-term outcomes. The blood investigations were done at the time of presentation from all the patients and after three months in the survivors. Various scores were calculated.Results: The majority of patients (47%) were in Child-Pugh class C. Mean MELD score was 13.54, LMR score was 1.96 and CLIF-SOFA score was 5. The total bilirubin, serum creatinine, international normalized ratio (INR), total leukocyte count, absolute monocyte count, CPS, MELD, CLIF-SOFA were significantly higher in a non-surviving group as compared to the surviving group, whereas the albumin and LMR significantly decreased in the non-surviving group. On performing multivariate regression, LMR and CLIF-SOFA were significant independent risk factors of mortality after adjusting for confounding factors. All the parameters had significant discriminatory power to predict mortality. Discriminatory power of CLIF-SOFA (AUC 0.808; 95% CI: 0.733 to 0.870) was excellent and discriminatory power of CPS (AUC 0.792; 95% CI: 0.716 to 0.856), MELD score (AUC 0.765; 95% CI: 0.685 to 0.832) and LMR (AUC 0.75; 95% CI: 0.669 to 0.819) was acceptable. Among all the parameters, CLIF-SOFA was the best predictor of mortality at a cut-off point of >5 with 80.80% chances of correctly predicting mortality.Conclusion: The significant morbidity and mortality indicators are high total bilirubin, high creatinine, high INR, high TLC, low platelet count, and low albumin. Among the various scores, CLIF-SOFA is a better predictor of mortality and morbidity. Low LMR and high CLIF-SOFA are significant independent risk factors of mortality at three months.

The Relationship between FT3 Level and Severity of HBV-ACLF.

We aimed to explore the relationship between free triiodothyronine (FT3) level and severity of hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). A total of 122 patients with HBV-ACLF who were hospitalized in Beijing You'an Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from September 2018 to February 2020 were included in this study. The FT3 level and the number of organs involved in patients with different stages of liver failure were analyzed. The patients were divided into four groups, Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, according to FT3 level. Correlation analysis was used to compare the correlation between FT3 level and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) score, CLIF-consortium organ failure (CLIF-COF) score, and Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) Research Consortium (AARC) score. Multiple linear regression, logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to analyze the effect of FT3 on MELD score. The FT3 level was the lowest in patients with advanced HBV-ACLF, but the highest in patients with early-stage HBV-ACLF (P < 0.01). The more organs involved, the lower the level of FT3 (P < 0.01). The MELD score of Q4 group was the lowest, whereas that of Q1 group was the highest (P < 0.01). Pearson correlation coefficients of FT3 with MELD score, CLIF-SOFA score, CLIF-COF score and AARC score were -0.477, -0.359, -0.347, and -0.391, respectively (P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the partial regression coefficients of FT3, natural log total bilirubin in milligrams per decaliter {ln[TBIL (mg/dL)]}, natural log creatinine in milligrams per decaliter {ln[CR (mg/dL)]}, and natural log international normalized ratio {ln[INR]} were -0.215, 0.346, 0.231, and 0.667, respectively (P < 0.001). The odds ratio (OR) values of FT3, ln[TBIL (mg/dL)], ln[CR (mg/dL)], and ln[INR] were 0.141 (0.082-0.244), 5.426 (2.697-9.059), 4.535 (2.432-8.455), and 8.642 (6.679-10.267) in the MELD ≥ 30 group compared with MELD < 30 group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, their area under the ROC curve (AUROC) values were 0.739 (0.686-0.792), 0.748 (0.696-0.800), 0.632 (0.562-0.702), and 0.933 (0.903-0.963), respectively (P < 0.001). FT3 level is correlated with the severity of HBV-ACLF, which may be one of the factors to judge the severity of this disease.

Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy Does Not Affect Prognosis of Cirrhosis Patients With Acute Decompensation and Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: A Single-Center Prospective Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy on complications and prognosis in cirrhosis patients with and without acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).Materials and Methods: Cirrhosis patients with acute decompensation (AD) (n = 489) admitted in our center were enrolled in this prospective observational cohort study. According to treatment received, patients were identified as users or nonusers of PPI. Clinical and laboratory data, complications during hospitalization, and overall survival were recorded in all the patients.Results: Of the 489 patients, 299 (61.1%) patients received PPI therapy. The logistic regression analysis showed that age, albumin, history of previous hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and the chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) score were independent risk factors for HE in patients with decompensated cirrhosis [odds ratio (OR) = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03–1.12, p = 0.001; OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.24, p = 0.006; OR = 242.52, 95% CI: 40.17–1464.11, p < 0.001; and OR = 2.89, 95% CI: 2.11–3.96, p < 0.001, respectively]. Previous severe liver injury and previous bacterial infections were independent risk factors for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (OR = 3.43, 95% CI: 1.16–10.17, p = 0.026 and OR = 6.47, 95% CI: 2.29–18.29, p < 0.001, respectively). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that the type and dose of the PPI used were not related to 28-day and 90-day mortality in cirrhosis patients with AD or ACLF.Conclusion: PPI use does not appear to increase mortality or the risk of HE and SBP in the hospitalized cirrhosis patients with and without ACLF.

Effectiveness of sepsis bundle application and outcomes predictors to cirrhotic patients with septic shock

IntroductionCirrhotic patients with septic shock have a poorer prognosis compared with the general population. Our study aimed to investigate the survival benefit of the implementation of hour-1 bundle proposed by Surviving Sepsis Campaign, and to analyze the predictors associated with short-term mortality of these patients.MethodsA single-center, retrospective case-control study was conducted among adult patients who visited the emergency department between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019. All patients with a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and septic shock were enrolled. Their baseline characteristics, laboratory results, source of sepsis, and sepsis bundle management were recorded. We further divided the patients into survivor and non-survivor groups to identify independent prognostic factors.ResultsA total of 88 patients were eligible for this study. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 53.4% (47/88). The proportion of hour-1 bundle achievement was 30.7% (27/88). There were no significant mortality differences between the hour-1 bundle achievement and non-achievement groups (44.4% vs. 57.4%, p = 0.35). Compared with the patients in the survivor group, patients in the non-survivor group had significantly more advanced stage of cirrhosis and a lower proportion of receiving source control (4.3% vs. 22.0%, p = 0.02). The chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) score (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] =1.52, p < 0.01), serum lactate (AHR =1.03, p < 0.01), and source control (AHR =0.54, p = 0.02) were identified as independent prognostic factors in the multivariate regression model. Furthermore, the CLIF-SOFA score (area under curve [AUC]: 0.81) and lactate levels (AUC: 0.77) revealed good mortality discrimination ability in cirrhotic patients with septic shock.ConclusionsThe application of the hour-1 bundle did not reveal a significant survival benefit to cirrhotic patients with septic shock. Clinicians could utilize CLIF-SOFA scores and lactate levels for mortality risk stratification and put more emphasis on the feasibility of source control to improve their prognosis.

Predicting mortality for cirrhotic patients with acute oesophageal variceal haemorrhage using liver‐specific scores

Background Acute oesophageal variceal haemorrhage (AOVH) is one of the most common complications of cirrhosis, treated with terlipressin plus endoscopic variceal banding. Identifying patients with a high chance to survive is paramount in order to allocate resources with accuracy. The purpose of this study was to analyse if liver-specific scores are capable of prognosticating mortality for AOVH patients. Design and setting Historical cohort study was conducted in a public tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods Data from medical records from 2010 to 2016 were obtained by searching the hospital electronic database patients who received terlipressin. Charts were reviewed in order to determine the diagnosis of cirrhosis and AOVH. Data in these charts were reviewed and multiple variables were collected. The study included 97 patients. Liver-specific scores were calculated and ROC-curves pairwise comparisons were performed using DeLong test. Results Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na) was able to predict mortality in 30 and 90-day, with AUROC of 0.76 and 0.78 respectively. Values of MELD-Na above 17 were able to predict higher mortality for all patients, with the sensitivity of 69% and 67% and the specificity of 75% and 77% for 30 and 90-day mortality respectively (P < 0.05). Although, when stratifying for acute-on-chronic liver failure patients, Chronic Liver-Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA) performed better than other liver-specific scores, whereas Child-Turcotte-Pugh performed better for acute decompensation patients. Conclusion MELD-Na score was superior to other liver-specific scores for predicting mortality in a cohort of cirrhotic patients admitted due to AOVH in a tertiary hospital.

Predictors and outcome of emergent Liver transplantation for patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure

Background and aimsControversy exists over whether emergent liver transplantation (LT) should be performed for patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), especially for patients with multiple organ failure. MethodsA total of 110 ACLF patients, defined by the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA) criteria were analyzed. The primary outcome was overall survival after ACLF diagnosis. ResultsDuring follow-up, 76 patients received LT (59 received deceased-donor LT and 17 patients received living-donor LT). The overall survival was better for patients who received LT than patients who did not (82.9% vs. 17.6%, P < 0.001). Among the 76 patients who received LT, the overall survival was not different according to ACLF grade at diagnosis (70.0%, 85.3%, and 84.4% at one-year for ACLF grades 1, 2, and 3, respectively, P = 0.45). The baseline model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and progression of the ACLF grade during the pre-transplant period were independent factors for survival after LT. The one-year survival rate was 92.3% for patients with baseline MELD scores of ≤ 32 without ACLF grade progression, whereas it was 33.3% for those with baseline MELD scores of > 32 and ACLF grade progression. ConclusionsEmergent LT provided a significant survival benefit to ACLF patients, regardless of the baseline ACLF grade. Post-LT outcomes were associated with baseline MELD scores and ACLF progression during the pre-transplant period, which might be used in the emergent LT plan for patients presenting with ACLF.

Current Utility of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score: A Literature Review and Future Directions.

The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is commonly used in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to evaluate, prognosticate and assess patients. Since its validation, the SOFA score has served in various settings, including medical, trauma, surgical, cardiac, and neurological ICUs. It has been a strong mortality predictor and literature over the years has documented the ability of the SOFA score to accurately distinguish survivors from non-survivors on admission. Over the years, multiple variations have been proposed to the SOFA score, which have led to the evolution of alternate validated scoring models replacing one or more components of the SOFA scoring system. Various SOFA based models have been used to evaluate specific clinical populations, such as patients with cardiac dysfunction, hepatic failure, renal failure, different races and public health illnesses, etc. This study is aimed to conduct a review of modifications in SOFA score in the past several years. We review the literature evaluating various modifications to the SOFA score such as modified SOFA, Modified SOFA, modified Cardiovascular SOFA, Extra-renal SOFA, Chronic Liver Failure SOFA, Mexican SOFA, quick SOFA, Lactic acid quick SOFA (LqSOFA), SOFA in hematological malignancies, SOFA with Richmond Agitation-Sedation scale and Pediatric SOFA. Various organ systems, their relevant scoring and the proposed modifications in each of these systems are presented in detail. There is a need to incorporate the most recent literature into the SOFA scoring system to make it more relevant and accurate in this rapidly evolving critical care environment. For future directions, we plan to put together most if not all updates in SOFA score and probably validate it in a large database a single institution and validate it in multisite data base.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure as a major predictive factor for mortality in patients with variceal bleeding

Background/AimsThis study examined the risk factors associated with mortality in cirrhotic patients hospitalized with variceal bleeding, and evaluated the effects of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) on the prognosis of these patients.MethodsThis study was retrospectively conducted on patients registered in the Korean acute-on-chronic liver failure study cohort, and on 474 consecutive cirrhotic patients hospitalized with variceal bleeding from January 2013 to December 2013 at 21 university hospitals. ACLF was defined as described by the European Association for the Study of Liver-Chronic Liver Failure Consortium.ResultsAmong a total of 474 patients, 61 patients were diagnosed with ACLF. The cumulative overall survival (OS) rate was lower in the patients with ACLF than in those without (P<0.001), and patients with higher ACLF grades had a lower OS rate (P<0.001). The chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) score was identified as a significant prognostic factor in patients hospitalized with variceal bleeding (hazard ratio [HR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–1.50; P<0.001), even in ACLF patients with variceal bleeding (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.19–1.46, P<0.001). Concerning the prediction of the mortality risk at 28- and 90-day using CLIF-SOFA scores, c-statistics were 0.895 (95% CI, 0.829–0.962) and 0.897 (95% CI, 0.842–0.951), respectively, and the optimal cut-off values were 6.5 and 6.5, respectively.ConclusionsIn cirrhotic patients hospitalized with variceal bleeding, the prognosis was poor when accompanied by ACLF, especially depending upon CLIF-SOFA score. CLIF-SOFA model well predicted the 28-day or 90-day mortality for cirrhotic patients who experienced variceal bleeding.

Liver‐specific scores as predictors of mortality in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Background Liver-specific scores have been developed and are currently used to predict mortality in cirrhotic patients. The purpose of this study is to analyse and compare their ability to predict mortality in cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Design and setting Historical cohort study conducted in a public tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods Data from medical records from January 2009 to July 2016 were obtained by searching the hospital electronic database for samples of ascites collected in the period. Electronic and physical medical records were hand analysed and patients were included if they were over 18-year old, with cirrhosis and an ascites fluid compatible with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. It was included 69 patients. Liver-specific scores were calculated and ROC curves pairwise comparisons were performed using DeLong test. Results Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA) was able to predict mortality in 30, 90 and 365 days, with AUROC of 0.75, 0.64 and 0.64 respectively. Values of CLIF-SOFA above 5 was able to predict higher mortality for all patients, with sensitivity of 87%, 74% and 56% and specificity of 52%, 46% and 66% for 28-, 90- and 365-day mortality respectively (P < .05). CLIF-SOFA was able to predict mortality in every time frame for all patients and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients. CLIF-SOFA values above 7 were associated with higher mortality for ACLF patients. Conclusion CLIF-SOFA score was superior to other liver-specific scores for predicting mortality in a cohort of cirrhotic patients admitted due to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in a teaching hospital in Brazil.

Empirical Treatment With Carbapenem vs Third-generation Cephalosporin for Treatment of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

Third-generation cephalosporins (TGCs) are recommended as first-line antibiotics for treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). However, antibiotics against multidrug-resistant organisms (such as carbapenems) might be necessary. We aimed to evaluate whether carbapenems are superior to TGC for treatment of SBP. We performed a retrospective study of 865 consecutive patients with a first presentation of SBP (275 culture positive; 103 with TGC-resistant bacterial infections) treated at 7 referral centers in Korea, from September 2013 through January 2018. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. We made all comparisons using data from patients whose baseline characteristics were balanced by inverse probability of treatment weighting. Of patients who initially received empirical treatment with antibiotics, 95 (11.0%) received carbapenems and 655 (75.7%) received TGCs. Among the entire study cohort, there was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between the carbapenem (25.8%) and TGC (25.3%) groups (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.97; 95% CI, 0.85-1.11; P = .66). In the subgroup of patients with high chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) scores (score of 7 or greater, n = 314), carbapenem treatment was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (23.1%) than in the TGC group (38.8%) (aOR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75-0.94; P=.002). In contrast, among patients with lower CLIF-SOFA scores (n = 436), in-hospital mortality did not differ significantly between the carbapenem group (24.7%) and the TGC group (16.0%) (aOR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.85-1.32; P = .58). For patients with a first presentation of SBP, empirical treatment with carbapenem does not reduce in-hospital mortality compared to treatment with TGCs. However, among critically ill patients (CLIF-SOFA scores ≥7), empirical carbapenem treatment was significantly associated with lower in-hospital mortality than TGCs.

Plasma perfusion combined with plasma exchange in chronic hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure patients.

Artificial liver support systems (ALSS) have been shown to significantly reduce mortality in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, the characteristics of patients who would benefit most from ALSS treatment are poorly understood. This study aimed to delineate the indicators for ALSS and evaluate the effectiveness of plasma perfusion combined with plasma exchange (PP + PE) in patients with hepatitis B virus-related ACLF (HBV-ACLF). A total of 898 patients with HBV-ACLF in a single center were enrolled retrospectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used in case-paired analysis. Hepatic or extra-hepatic organ failures were defined by Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA) criteria. Complications included ascites, infection, hepatopulmonary syndrome, hepatorenal syndrome, hepatic encephalopathy and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Numbers of organ failures or complications were used for risk stratification. Among all patients, 418 patients received standard medical therapy (SMT) and 480 received PP + PE plus SMT. After one-to-one paired PSM within the two groups without risk stratification, 293 pairs were enrolled. The PP + PE group displayed significantly lower mortality risk in both 28- and 90-day observation durations. When stratified, patients with two or more organ failures or complications from the PP + PE group showed greater decrease in mortality risk. Moreover, PP + PE treatment significantly increased the resolution of organ failures and complications and ameliorated the development of new organ failures and complications. PP + PE treatment significantly reversed organ failures and ameliorated the development of new organ failures and complications, thus reducing mortality risk of patients with HBV-ACLF.

Changes in thyroid function in patients with liver failure and their clinical significance: A clinical study of non-thyroidal illness syndrome in patients with liver failure

BackgroundNon-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) develops in a large proportion of critically ill patients and is associated with high risk for death. We aimed to investigate the correlation between NTIS and liver failure, and the short-term mortality of patients with these conditions. MethodsThe clinical data of 87 patients with liver failure were collected retrospectively, 73 of them were randomly selected for an observational study and to establish prognostic models, and 14 for model validation. Another 73 sex- and age-matched patients with mild chronic hepatitis were randomly selected as a control group. Serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured. The clinical characteristics of patients with liver failure and NTIS were analyzed. The follow-up of patients lasted for 3 months. Additionally, the values for predicting short-term mortality of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP), chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) scores, FT3-MELD model, and FT3 were evaluated. ResultsThe observation group had significantly lower FT3 (2.79 ± 0.71 vs. 4.43 ± 0.75 pmol/L, P < 0.001) and TSH [0.618 (0.186-1.185) vs. 1.800 (1.570-2.590) mIU/L, P < 0.001], and higher FT4 (19.51 ± 6.26 vs. 14.47 ± 2.19 pmol/L, P < 0.001) than the control group. NTIS was diagnosed in 49 of the patients with liver failure (67.12%). In the observation group, patients with NTIS had a higher mortality rate than those without (63.27% vs. 25.00%, P = 0.002). Across the whole cohort, the 3-month mortality was 50.68%. The international normalized ratios (INR) were 2.40 ± 1.41 in survivors and 3.53 ± 1.81 in deaths (P = 0.004), the creatinine (Cr) concentrations were 73.27 ± 36.94 µmol/L and 117.08 ± 87.98 µmol/L (P = 0.008), the FT3 concentrations were 3.13 ± 0.59 pmol/L and 2.47 ± 0.68 pmol/L (P < 0.001), the MELD scores were 22.19 ± 6.64 and 29.57 ± 7.99 (P < 0.001), the CTP scores were 10.67 ± 1.53 and 11.78 ± 1.25 (P = 0.001), and the CLIF-SOFA scores were 8.42 ± 1.68 and 10.16 ± 2.03 (P < 0.001), respectively. FT3 was negatively correlated with MELD score (r = −0.430, P < 0.001). An FT3-MELD model was established by subjecting FT3 concentration and MELD score to logistic regression analysis using the following formula: Logit(P) = −1.337 × FT3+0.114 × MELD+0.880. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.827 and the optimal cut-off value was 0.4523. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 67.6% and 91.7%. The areas under the ROC curve for FT3 concentration, MELD score, CTP score, and CLIF-SOFA score were 0.809, 0.779, 0.699, and 0.737, respectively. ConclusionsPatients with liver failure often develop NTIS. FT3-MELD score perform better than CTP and CLIF-SOFA scores in predicting mortality in patients with liver failure. Thus, the FT3-MELD model could be of great value for the evaluation of the short-term mortality of such patients.

Validation of the prognostic models in acute-on-chronic liver failure precipitated by hepatic and extrahepatic insults.

BackgroundPatients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) precipitated by hepatic injury and extrahepatic insults had distinct clinical phenotypes, and prognosis. This study aimed to validate prognostic models for ACLF and to explore their discriminative abilities in ACLF population categorized by the etiologies of precipitating events.MethodsThis study collected data from 343 consecutive cirrhotic patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of ACLF according to the EASL-CLIF-Consortium definition. The discrimination abilities of prognostic models at the onset of ACLF were tested with the concordance index and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.ResultsAmong the entire cohort, 103 patients survived with medical management, nine patients were transplanted, and 231 patients died without liver transplantation. The predictive accuracy of the Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA) for 28-day mortality was similar to the CLIF Consortium Organ Failure (CLIF-C OF) but significantly higher than the CLIF Consortium ACLF, the Child-Turcotte-Pugh, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), the MELD-sodium, the integrated MELD, and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II. Of note, 44 patients had acute hepatic insult triggering ACLF (hepatic-ACLF), 244 were exclusively precipitated by bacterial infection or gastrointestinal bleeding (extrahepatic-ACLF), and 55 cases had no any identifiable potential precipitating events. Patients with hepatic-ACLF had significantly higher 28-day mortality than extrahepatic-ACLF patients. The CLIF-SOFA and CLIF-C OF displayed the highest accuracy significantly outperforming other scoring systems in predicting mortality among patients with hepatic-ACLF and those with extrahepatic-ACLF.ConclusionThe CLIF-SOFA and simpler CLIF-C OF are reliable measures of mortality risk in ACLF patients precipitated by either hepatic or extrahepatic insults. Both validated models could be used to stratify the risk of death and improve management of ACLF.

Characteristics, Risk Factors, and Adverse Outcomes of Hyperkalemia in Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure Patients.

Background Hyperkalemia is a serious complication in cirrhotic patients. However, the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and its impact on the outcomes in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients remain unclear. Methods We retrospectively recruited 650 ACLF patients in this study. The risk factors associated with hyperkalemia and its relationship with 90-day mortality were analyzed using multivariable regression models. Results Among 650 patients with ACLF, 12.2% (79/650) had hyperkalemia during hospitalization. Higher admission serum potassium levels and the presence of acute kidney injury (AKI) were independent risk factors for hyperkalemia. The prevalence rates of hyperkalemia in patients with and without AKI were 23.6% and 4.6%, respectively (P<0.001). Hyperkalemia was a predictor of mortality in AKI and non-AKI patients. The 90-day mortality rates in non-AKI patients with and without hyperkalemia were 44.4% and 24.7%, respectively (P<0.001), and in AKI patients with and without hyperkalemia were 80.3% and 56.6%, respectively (P<0.001). Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), gastrointestinal bleeding, AKI, hyperkalemia, elevated total bilirubin (TBIL) and international normalized ratio (INR) values, and higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment (CLIF-SOFA) scores were independent risk factors for predicting the 90-day mortality in ACLF patients. Conclusions Hyperkalemia increases the 90-day mortality in ACLF patients; hyperkalemia is associated with AKI. Patients with both AKI and hyperkalemia had the worst outcome.