Prognostic impact of ICG-PDR in patients with hypoxic hepatitis

Background: Hepatic impairment is found in up to 20 % in critically ill patients. Hypoxic/ischemic hepatitis (HH) is a diffuse hepatic damage associated with high morbidity and mortality. Indocyanine green plasma disappearance rate (ICG-PDR) is an effective tool assessing liver function in acute and chronic hepatic diseases. Aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of ICG-PDR in comparison to established parameters for risk stratification. Methods: Patients with HH were included in this prospective observational study and compared to cirrhosis, acute liver failure (ALF) and patients without underlying liver disease. ICG-PDR, measured non-invasively by finger pulse densitometry, was assessed on admission and in patients with HH serially and results were compared between groups. Diagnostic test accuracy of ICG-PDR predicting 28-day mortality was analyzed by receiver operating characteristics (ROC). Results: ICG-PDR on admission was significantly lower in patients with liver diseases than in patients without hepatic impairment (median 5.7 %/min, IQR 3.8-7.9 vs. 20.7 %/min, IQR 14.1-25.4 %/min;p = 9.0 %/min 48 h after admission. Conclusions: ICG-PDR is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with liver disease. Diagnostic test accuracy of ICG-PDR was superior to standard liver function parameters and established scoring systems in patients with HH

Development of ARDS after Excessive Kath Consumption: A Case Report

Khat is a drug widely used in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Khat leaves contain, among other substances, the psychoactive alkaloid cathinone, which induce central nervous system stimulation leading to euphoria, hyperactivity, restlessness, and insomnia. However, it also could cause psychological adverse effects such as lethargy, sleepiness, psychoses, and depression necessitating pharmacologic treatment. Here we report the case of a 35-year-old man from Somalia who became unconscious and developed aspiration pneumonia and subsequent ARDS after excessive consumption of khat leaves. His unconsciousness was possibly caused by the sleepiness developed after khat consumption and a benzodiazepine intake by the patient himself. Thus, khat-induced adverse effects should not primarily be treated pharmacologically, but patients should be urged to quit khat consumption in order to eliminate or, at least, reduce the severity of present psychological adverse effects

Performance of non-invasive fibrosis scores in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with and without morbid obesity

Background!#!Non-invasive scores, such as the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) Fibrosis Score (NFS), are increasingly used for liver fibrosis assessment in patients with NAFLD. The aim of this study was to assess the applicability and reliability of non-invasive fibrosis scores in NAFLD patients with and without morbid obesity.!##!Methods!#!Three hundred sixty-eight patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD identified between January 2012 and December 2015 were studied; 225 with morbid obesity (biopsy obtained during bariatric surgery) and 143 patients without (termed as 'conventional').!##!Results!#!Median age was 47 years, 57% were female. Median body mass index (BMI) was 42.9 kg/m!##!Conclusions!#!Our data suggest that FIB-4 score is an accurate predictor of advanced fibrosis in NAFLD throughout all BMI stages. Without adjustment, NFS tends to overestimate fibrosis in morbidly obese NAFLD patients. This problem may be solved by implementation of an upper BMI limit (for NFS) or adjustment of diagnostic thresholds

Acid–base status and its clinical implications in critically ill patients with cirrhosis, acute-on-chronic liver failure and without liver disease

Abstract Background Acid–base disturbances are frequently observed in critically ill patients at the intensive care unit. To our knowledge, the acid–base profile of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) has not been evaluated and compared to critically ill patients without acute or chronic liver disease. Results One hundred and seventy-eight critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis were compared to 178 matched controls in this post hoc analysis of prospectively collected data. Patients with and without liver cirrhosis showed hyperchloremic acidosis and coexisting hypoalbuminemic alkalosis. Cirrhotic patients, especially those with ACLF, showed a marked net metabolic acidosis owing to increased lactate and unmeasured anions. This metabolic acidosis was partly antagonized by associated respiratory alkalosis, yet with progression to ACLF resulted in acidemia, which was present in 62% of patients with ACLF grade III compared to 19% in cirrhosis patients without ACLF. Acidemia and metabolic acidosis were associated with 28-day mortality in cirrhosis. Patients with pH values < 7.1 showed a 100% mortality rate. Acidosis attributable to lactate and unmeasured anions was independently associated with mortality in liver cirrhosis. Conclusions Cirrhosis and especially ACLF are associated with metabolic acidosis and acidemia owing to lactate and unmeasured anions. Acidosis and acidemia, respectively, are associated with increased 28-day mortality in liver cirrhosis. Lactate and unmeasured anions are main contributors to metabolic imbalance in cirrhosis and ACLF

Circulating bile acids predict outcome in critically ill patients

Abstract Background Jaundice and cholestatic hepatic dysfunction are frequent findings in critically ill patients associated with increased mortality. Cholestasis in critically ill patients is closely associated with stimulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines resulting in impaired bile secretion and subsequent accumulation of bile acids. Aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical role of circulating bile acids in critically ill patients. Methods Total and individual serum bile acids were assessed via high-performance liquid chromatography in 320 critically ill patients and 19 controls. Results Total serum bile acids were threefold higher in septic than cardiogenic shock patients and sixfold higher than in post-surgical patients or controls (p < 0.001). Elevated bile acid levels correlated with severity of illness, renal dysfunction and inflammation (p < 0.05). Total bile acids predicted 28-day mortality independently of sex, age, serum bilirubin and severity of illness (HR 1.041, 95% CI 1.013–1.071, p < 0.005). Best prediction of mortality of total bile acids was seen in patients suffering from septic shock. Conclusions Individual and total BAs are elevated by various degrees in different shock conditions. BAs represent an early predictor of short-term survival in a mixed cohort of ICU patients and may serve as marker for early risk stratification in critically ill patients. Future studies should elucidate whether modulation of BA metabolism and signalling influences the clinical course and outcome in critically ill patients

Lactate Improves Prediction of Short-Term Mortality in Critically Ill Patients With Cirrhosis: A Multinational Study

Lactate levels and lactate clearance are known predictors of outcome in critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The prognostic value of lactate is not well established in liver cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of lactate levels and clearance in critically ill patients with cirrhosis. Patients with cirrhosis admitted to the ICU were studied at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (n = 566, derivation cohort) and the Medical University of Vienna and the University Hospitals Leuven (n = 250, validation cohort). Arterial lactate was measured on admission and during the first 24 hours. Patients were followed for 1 year and outcome was assessed. Admission lactate was directly related to the number of organs failing and to 28-day mortality (area under receiver operating characteristic [AUROC] 0.72; P 0.70 for all). Lactate clearance had significant predictive ability for 28-day mortality in patients with elevated serum lactate ≥5 mmol/L. Admission lactate and 12-hour lactate clearance (in patients with admission lactate ≥5 mmol/L), respectively, were identified as significant predictors of 1-year mortality, independent of Chronic Liver Failure Consortium acute-on-chronic liver failure score (CLIF-C ACLFs). A lactate-adjusted CLIF-C ACLFs was developed (CLIF-C ACLFsLact ), which performed significantly better than the original CLIF-C ACLFs in prediction of 28-day mortality in the derivation and validation cohort. Conclusion: Lactate levels appropriately reflect severity of disease and organ failure and were independently associated with short-term mortality in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis. Lactate is a simple but accurate prognostic marker, and its incorporation improved performance of CLIF-C ACLFs significantly.status: publishe

Heyde syndrome: prevalence and outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Background!#!Heyde syndrome (HS) is known as the association of severe aortic stenosis (AS) and recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) from angiodysplasia. Data on the prevalence of HS and results after TAVI remain scarce.!##!Methods!#!2548 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI for the treatment of AS from 2008 to 2017 were evaluated for a history of GIB and the presence of HS. The diagnosis of HS was defined as a clinical triad of severe AS, a history of recurrent GIB, and an endoscopic diagnosis of angiodysplasia. These patients (Heyde) were followed to investigate clinical outcomes, bleeding complications and the recurrence of GIB and were compared to patients with GIB unrelated to HS (Non-Heyde).!##!Results!#!A history of GIB prior to TAVI was detected in 190 patients (7.5%). Among them, 47 patients were diagnosed with HS (1.8%). Heyde patients required blood transfusions more frequently compared to Non-Heyde patients during index hospitalization (50.0% vs. 31.9%, p = 0.03). Recurrent GIB was detected in 39.8% of Heyde compared to 21.2% of Non-Heyde patients one year after TAVI (p = 0.03). In patients diagnosed with HS and recurrent GIB after TAVI, the rate of residual ≥ mild paravalvular leakage (PVL) was higher compared to those without recurrent bleeding (73.3% vs. 38.1%, p = 0.05).!##!Conclusion!#!A relevant number of patients undergoing TAVI were diagnosed with HS. Recurrent GIB was detected in a significant number of Heyde patients during follow-up. A possible association with residual PVL requires further investigation to improve treatment options and outcomes in patients with HS

Severe liver dysfunction complicating course of COVID-19 in the critically ill: multifactorial cause or direct viral effect?

Background!#!SARS-CoV-2 caused a pandemic and global threat for human health. Presence of liver injury was commonly reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, reports on severe liver dysfunction (SLD) in critically ill with COVID-19 are lacking. We evaluated the occurrence, clinical characteristics and outcome of SLD in critically ill patients with COVID-19.!##!Methods!#!Clinical course and laboratory was analyzed from all patients with confirmed COVID-19 admitted to ICU of the university hospital. SLD was defined as: bilirubin ≥ 2 mg/dl or elevation of aminotransferase levels (&amp;gt; 20-fold ULN).!##!Results!#!72 critically ill patients were identified, 22 (31%) patients developed SLD. Presenting characteristics including age, gender, comorbidities as well as clinical presentation regarding COVID-19 overlapped substantially in both groups. Patients with SLD had more severe respiratory failure (paO!##!Conclusion!#!One-third of critically ill patients with COVID-19 suffer from SLD, which is associated with high mortality. Occurrence of viremia and severity of illness seem to contribute to occurrence of SLD and underline the multifactorial cause

Risk factors associated with bleeding after prophylactic endoscopic variceal ligation in cirrhosis

Background Prophylactic endoscopic variceal band ligation (EVL) is frequently performed in patients with liver cirrhosis. The aim of our study was to identify factors associated with early upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in cirrhosis patients after prophylactic EVL. Methods 787 nonemergency EVLs performed in 444 patients in two German University medical centers were analyzed retrospectively. Results Within 30 days after EVL, 38 UGIBs were observed (4.8% of all procedures). Bilirubin levels (hazard ratio [HR] 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-2.0 for a 2-fold increase) and presence of varices grade III/IV according to Paquet (HR 2.6, 95%CI 1.3-5.0 compared with absence or smaller sized varices) were independently associated with UGIB following EVL. International normalized ratio (INR) was associated with bleeding events in the univariate analysis but did not reach statistical significance after adjustment for bilirubin and presence of varices grade III/IV (HR 1.2, 95 %CI 0.9-1.6 for an increase by 0.25). There was no statistically significant association between platelet count or fibrinogen levels and UGIB. Substitution of coagulation products did not affect incidence of bleeding after EVL, which also applied to patients with coagulopathy (INR > 1.5 and/or platelet count < 50 x 10(9)/L). No association between proton pump inhibitor therapy and post-EVL UGIB was observed. Conclusions EVL is a safe procedure and immediate bleeding complications are rare. Serum bilirubin levels and size of varices, rather than coagulation indices, are associated with UGIB after EVL. Our data do not support the preventive substitution of blood or coagulation products