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The outcome of critical illness in decompensated alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Authors :: Kavli M
Strøm T
Carlsson M
Dahler-Eriksen B
Toft P
Source :: Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica [Acta Anaesthesiol Scand] 2012 Sep; Vol. 56 (8), pp. 987-94. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Apr 04.
Publication Year :: 2012
Abstract: Background: The mortality of patients suffering from acute decompensated liver disease treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) varies between 50% and 100%. Previously published data suggest that liver-specific score systems are less accurate compared with the ICU-specific scoring systems acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) and simplified organ failure assessment (SOFA) in predicting outcome. We hypothesized that in a Scandinavian cohort of ICU patients, APACHE II, SOFA, and simplified acute physiology score (SAPS II) were superior to predict outcome compared with the Child-Pugh score.<br />Methods: A single-centre retrospective cohort analysis was conducted in a university-affiliated ICU. Eighty-seven adult patients with decompensated liver alcoholic cirrhosis were admitted from January 2007 to January 2010.<br />Results: The patients were severely ill with median scores: SAPS II 60, SOFA (day 1) 11, APACHE II 31, and Child-Pugh 12. Receiver operating characteristic curves area under curve was 0.79 for APACHE II, 0.83 for SAPS II, and 0.79 for SOFA (day 1) compared with 0.59 for Child-Pugh. In patients only in need of mechanical ventilation, the 90-day mortality was 76%. If respiratory failure was further complicated by shock treated with vasopressor agents, the 90-day mortality increased to 89%. Ninety-day mortality for patients in need of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive medication, and renal replacement therapy because of acute kidney injury was 93%.<br />Conclusion: APACHE II, SAPS II, and SOFA were better at predicting mortality than the Child-Pugh score. With three or more organ failures, the ICU mortality was > 90%. APACHE II > 30, SAPS II > 60, and SOFA at day 1 > 12 were all associated with a mortality of > 90%. Referral criteria of patients suffering from decompensated alcoholic liver disease should be revised.<br /> (© 2012 The Authors. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica © 2012 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.)