Prognostic value of the intravenous 14C-aminopyrine breath test compared to the Child-Pugh score and serum bile acids in 84 cirrhotic patients.

The prognostic value of the intravenous 14C-aminopyrine breath test (ABT) in liver cirrhosis was compared to that of the well-established multiparametric Child-Pugh classification and that of serum bile acids, an endogenous parameter of liver function for which a prognostic value in patients with liver cirrhosis has been demonstrated previously. 84 patients with liver cirrhosis were studied. 32 of the patients died during the observation period. Survival was analyzed for periods of 3, 6 and 12 months after examination. For all chosen observation periods, the Child-Pugh score was of prognostic value. ABT gave prognostic information for periods of 6 and 12 months of survival, but was by far inferior to the Child-Pugh score. Serum bile acids in our population did not yield prognostic information at any time interval studied. We conclude that in our group of cirrhotic patients, the prognostic value of the Child-Pugh classification was by far superior to quantitative liver function tests in predicting survival.