Disease Awaiting Liver Transplantation Research Articles

HCV treatment in patients with end stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation

HCV treatment in patients with end stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation

Cardiac Surgery in Children With End-Stage Liver Disease Awaiting Liver Transplantation

Cardiac repair for congenital heart disease in children awaiting liver transplantation presents unique therapeutic challenges and dilemmas. We tested the hypothesis that operations in these children requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were not associated with prohibitive morbidity and mortality. Over the last 10 years (1994-2004), five infants were identified in our database with end-stage liver disease and awaiting liver transplantation that required cardiac surgery. Primary end point for the study was mortality. Secondary end points included morbidity and time to liver transplantation. The new pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) model was used to score liver disease severity. Three boys and two girls with mean age of 8.6 months (range, 1.5-21 months) and mean PELD of 18.0 (range, 10-29) required CPB for repair. The only early mortality in the series occurred after cardiac arrest during creation of a central shunt. The child expired two days later despite extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. The patient had important myocardial hypertrophy. All other patients survived and underwent successful liver transplantation. Children with significant congenital heart disease awaiting liver transplantation can undergo safe cardiac repair with judicious perioperative support thereby reducing the risks of subsequent liver transplantation.

Endoscopic Sinus Surgery in Patients with Chronic Hepatic Failure Awaiting Liver Transplant

Because of the need for posttransplant immunosuppression, patients with chronic liver failure requiring transplantation must be free of infection to maintain an active status on the transplant list. These patients present significant surgical risks due to coagulopathy. Here, we present our experience with endoscopic sinus surgery for medically refractory sinusitis in this patient population. We created a prospective case series of seven patients undergoing 10 surgeries. All patients were given preoperative blood product infusions. Operative blood loss ranged from 150 to 1500 cc with an average of 495 cc. Two cases had to be stopped before completion because of bleeding obscuring visualization. The two cases with the greatest blood loss were in patients with the most severe liver disease (highest mathematical model for end-stage liver disease scores), lowest albumin, and most extensive sinus disease. All patients were returned to active status on the liver transplant list and four patients have undergone liver transplantation. Patients with chronic hepatic disease awaiting liver transplant can be treated successfully with endoscopic sinus surgery, but significant perioperative bleeding may not be avoidable. Preoperative use of fresh frozen plasma, platelets, and sometimes albumin are necessary, and postoperative blood products may be required with more significant sinus and liver disease. NovoSeven (recombinant factor Vlla) was used on two occasions in one patient, with maximal correction of the patient's coagulopathy. Patients should be counseled on the possible need for additional procedures to adequately clear disease.

Potential predictive value of the meld score for short-term mortality after liver transplantation

In the last years, a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) was suggested as a disease severity score for patients with end-stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation. In the early 2002, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has proposed to replace the current status 2A, 2B, and 3 by a modified version of the original MELD score based upon patient risk for 3-month mortality on the waiting list.In this study UNOS status and MELD score were evaluated retrospectively for postoperative 3-month mortality in patients who underwent liver transplantation from 2000 to 2001. Liver recipients were stratified for UNOS status 2A, 2B, and 3, and the corresponding MELD score was calculated for each patient. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed for both conventional UNOS status and MELD score by fitting patient deaths within 3 months after liver transplantation. The MELD score revealed a better prediction rate for 3-month mortality after the first LT than conventional UNOS status, although no statistical significance was evident by ROC curve comparison. This preliminary study seems to suggest a potentially better predictive rate for the MELD score than conventional UNOS status concerning short-term mortality after liver transplantation.

Predicting outcome after liver transplantation: utility of the model for end-stage liver disease and a newly derived discrimination function1

The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) has been found to accurately predict pretransplant mortality and is a valuable system for ranking patients in greatest need of liver transplantation. It is unknown whether a higher MELD score also predicts decreased posttransplant survival. We examined a cohort of patients from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database for whom the critical pretransplant recipient values needed to calculate the MELD score were available (international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, total bilirubin, and creatinine). In these 2,565 patients, we analyzed whether the MELD score predicted graft and patient survival and length of posttransplant hospitalization. In contrast with its ability to predict survival in patients with chronic liver disease awaiting liver transplant, the MELD score was found to be poor at predicting posttransplant outcome except for patients with the highest 20% of MELD scores. We developed a model with four variables not included in MELD that had greater ability to predict 3-month posttransplant patient survival, with a c-statistic of 0.65, compared with 0.54 for the pretransplant MELD score. These pretransplant variables were recipient age, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and retransplantation. Recipients with any two of the three latter variables showed a markedly diminished posttransplant survival rate. The MELD score is a relatively poor predictor of posttransplant outcome. In contrast, a model based on four pretransplant variables (recipient age, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and retransplantation) had a better ability to predict outcome. Our results support the use of MELD for liver allocation and indicate that statistical modeling, such as reported in this article, can be used to identify futile cases in which expected outcome is too poor to justify transplantation.

Conversion rates of patients receiving hepatitis A vaccination with end stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation

Conversion rates of patients receiving hepatitis A vaccination with end stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation

Conversion rates of patients receiving hepatitis A vaccination with end stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation

Conversion rates of patients receiving hepatitis A vaccination with end stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation

Vaccination against hepatitis B in patients with chronic liver disease awaiting liver transplantation.

Most transplant centers in the United States immunize patients awaiting liver transplantation against hepatitis B to prevent acquisition of hepatitis B through transplantation (de novo hepatitis B). A recent study showed that only 16% of patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation responded to single-dose recombinant vaccine. We studied the immunogenicity of double-dose recombinant vaccine in patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation. Over a 4-year period (January 1994 to December 1997), 140 patients with cirrhosis without past or current hepatitis B infection were given double-dose recombinant vaccine (40 microg of Engerix B; SmithKline Beecham, Philadelphia, PA) at 0, 1 to 2, and 2 to 4 months. Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) was measured 1 to 3 months after completing vaccination. The response rate was 37%. However, HBsAb titers became undetectable in 35% of the responders during the post-transplant follow-up period. One hundred and thirty-seven patients underwent 144 liver transplantation procedures during the study period, and 3 patients developed de novo hepatitis B (2.2%). Livers transplanted from hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-positive donors was the source of de novo hepatitis B in all cases. Two of the 3 patients who developed de novo hepatitis B were immunized before transplantation and one of them was a responder. Although the response rate to double-dose recombinant vaccines is higher than the previously reported response to single-dose vaccine, it still is less than optimal.

Vaccination against Hepatitis B in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease Awaiting Liver Transplantation

Background: Most transplant centers in the United States immunize patients awaiting liver transplantation against hepatitis B to prevent acquisition of hepatitis B through transplantation (de novo hepatitis B). A recent study showed that only 16% of patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation responded to single-dose recombinant vaccine. Methods: We studied the immunogenicity of double-dose recombinant vaccine in patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation. Results: Over a 4-year period (January 1994 to December 1997), 140 patients with cirrhosis without past or current hepatitis B infection were given double-dose recombinant vaccine (40 μg of Engerix B; SmithKline Beecham, Philadelphia, PA) at 0, 1 to 2, and 2 to 4 months. Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) was measured 1 to 3 months after completing vaccination. The response rate was 37%. However, HBsAb titers became undetectable in 35% of the responders during the post-transplant follow-up period. One hundred and thirty-seven patients underwent 144 liver transplantation procedures during the study period, and 3 patients developed de novo hepatitis B (2.2%). Livers transplanted from hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-positive donors was the source of de novo hepatitis B in all cases. Two of the 3 patients who developed de novo hepatitis B were immunized before transplantation and one of them was a responder. Conclusion: Although the response rate to double-dose recombinant vaccines is higher than the previously reported response to single-dose vaccine, it still is less than optimal.

Comparison of Transesophageal and Transthoracic Contrast Echocardiography for Detection of an Intrapulmonary Shunt in Liver Disease

Contrast transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is currently used to identify intrapulmonary shunt (IPS) in patients with end-stage liver disease. The aim of this study was to compare the use of contrast TTE and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in detecting IPS. Thirty-seven consecutive outpatients with severe liver disease awaiting liver transplantation underwent contrast TEE and TTE. The IPS was assessed semiquantitatively in four grades with TEE and as positive or negative with TTE. ICU. Patients underwent contrast TEE after pharyngeal anesthesia alone followed by contrast TTE. Contrast echocardiography was performed with a modified fluid gelatin solution. Overall detection rate of an IPS was 51% with TEE and 32% with TTE (p < 0.001). Four patients had an IPS detected with TEE but not with TTE. Quality of imaging was poor in 22% with TTE and 0% with TEE (p < 0.001). A PaO2 < 80 mm Hg or a dyspnea was associated with an IPS in 56% and 50% of patients with TEE and in 33% and 25% with TTE, respectively. Contrast-enhanced TEE is superior to TTE for detecting an IPS in patients with severe liver disease awaiting liver transplantation. The use of gelatin contrast solution allows an early detection of IPS. Because of the high sensitivity of TEE, all patients suspected of hepatopulmonary syndrome should undergo TEE in search of an IPS if TTE is normal.

β-Lactam antibiotic-induced leukopenia in severe hepatic dysfunction: Risk factors and implications for dosing in patients with liver disease

purpose: To determine if an association could be established for leukopenia and administration of β-lactam antibiotic therapy in patients with hepatic dysfunction. If such an association could be found, to determine the incidence, timing, and risk factors for β-lactam antibiotic-induced leukopenia. patients and methods: Patients with hepatic dysfunction, i.e., liver transplant recipients as well as patients with end-stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation, seen at our institution between October 1989 and October 1991, who received 7 or more days of antibiotics, were studied in a prospective observational fashion. Complete blood count was determined at baseline and followed until the completion of the antibiotic course or until the resolution of leukopenia in leukopenic patients. results: Leukopenia occurred after a mean of 6 days with 23% of the β-lactam antibiotic courses as compared with 0% with the non-β-lactam antibiotic courses (p = 0.046). Development of leukopenia correlated with the severity of liver disease. Patients developing leukopenia had worse synthetic hepatic function as evidenced by a lower serum albumin level (p < 0.01), a lower serum cholesterol level (p < 0.05), and a higher prothrombin time (p < 0.01) as compared with the patients without leukopenia. Leukopenic patients had a lower baseline white blood cell count (p < 0.051) and a lower baseline platelet count (p < 0.01) indicative of a greater degree of hypersplenism. Leukopenic patients received a higher mean daily dosage of cephalosporins as compared with nonleukopenic patients. conclusion: β-Lactam antibiotics when administered in usually recommended dosages can induce leukopenia in patients with hepatic dysfunction. The probable mechanism is impaired hepatic metabolism of the (β-lactam antibiotics resulting in bone marrow suppression of white cell precursors from excessive antibiotic concentrations. The more severe the hepatic dysfunction, the greater the risk. We propose a reduction in dosages of β-lactam antibiotics when used in patients with hepatic dysfunction. Finally, we raise the possibility that this adverse drug effect is more common than currently recognized by physicians.