Acute on chronic liver failure- etiology, clinical profile, prognostic scores: experience from tertiary care centre of eastern India

Background: Acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a recently recognised entity in chronic liver disease patients. Data regarding ACLF in terms of clinical presentation, etiology of underlying cirrhosis, precipitating factors, prognostic factors are lacking from eastern India. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the above factors along with the assessment of short-term mortality (4 weeks) in patients of ACLF.Methods: In this prospective observational study, 120 patients diagnosed as ACLF were included. A comparison of complications, biochemical profiles and prognostic scores was made between the survivor and non-survivor groups.Results: Of the 120 ACLF patients included, the mean age was 44.9±8.6 years and the male to female ratio was 2.5:1. Common clinical presentations were jaundice (100%), ascites (88.3%), hepatic encephalopathy (60%). The most common etiology for underlying CLD was alcohol (51.7%) followed by chronic hepatitis B (20%) and chronic hepatitis C (15%) infection. Alcohol hepatitis (40%) followed by hepatotropic viral infections (20%) and drug-induced liver injury (15%) were common identifiable precipitating agents. After a follow-up period of 4 weeks, 56 (46.6%) out of 120 patients died. The presence of sepsis, hyponatremia, renal failure, and coagulopathy was significantly associated with high mortality. Mortality was higher among patients having high Chronic liver failure consortium- acute on chronic liver failure (CLIF-ACLF) grade and closely related to the number of organ failures.Conclusions: ACLF is a rapidly progressive syndrome in chronic liver disease patients, having high short-term mortality

Adverse perinatal outcome in diabetic mother treated with oral hypoglycemic agents vs. insulin

Background: Insulin has been the primary mode of therapy in diabetic mother for glycemic control as oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) were initially thought to have teratogenic effect. Recent data supports the use of certain OHA; this study was designed to compare the perinatal outcomes in infants born to diabetic mother treated with insulin vs. oral hypoglycemic agents and to find out the relation of adverse perinatal events to glycemic control in both groups.Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital. 108 neonates born to diabetic mother between October 2014 to September 2016 were taken for study immediately after delivery after excluding the mothers who were treated with lifestyle modification and/or dietary modification alone only. 60 mothers had received insulin and 48 OHA for glycaemic control. Glycemic control was assessed by HbA1C estimation on the day of delivery. The infants were followed up in neonatal care unit for perinatal complications. Main outcome measure(s): birth weight, gestational age, respiratory problems, birth injury, birth asphyxia, congenital anomalies, hypoglycemia, hypocalcaemia, hyperbillirubinemia.Results: Out of 108 infants, 27 were born to pregestational and 81 to gestational diabetic mothers. 60(55.5%) were treated with insulin and rest with OHA, 53(49.1%) had optimal glycemic control. Both the groups had similar glycemic control in the third trimester. None of the perinatal outcomes showed significant difference between insulin and OHA group except neonatal hyperbillirubinemia. (p=0.013, RR=8 and OR=0.106). Within the optimal glycemic control (HbA1C <8), LGA has significant association with the insulin group than OHA (p=0.012, RR=2.217 and OR=4.2018).Conclusions: As compared to insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents have similar glycemic control and no adverse perinatal outcomes and can be used in pregnant mothers with diabetes mellitus from poor socioeconomic and educational background for its low cost and better patient compliance. Within the glycemic control, maternal treatment with insulin showed significant difference in LGA compared to OHA which needs further studies for validation