Irene Conejo1, Maria Anna Guardascione2, Puneeta Tandon3, Alba Cachero4, Josep Castellote4, Juan G Abraldes3, Lucio Amitrano2, Joan Genescà5, Salvador Augustin6. 1. Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. 2. Gastroenterology Unit, AORN A. Cardarelli, Naples, Italy. 3. Cirrhosis Care Clinic, Division of Gastroenterology (Liver Unit), Centre of Excellence for Gastrointestinal Inflammation and Immunity Research, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. 4. Gastroenterology Department, Hepatology Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 5. Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jgenesca@vhebron.net. 6. Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: saugustin@vhebron.net.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Early placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) is considered the treatment of choice for patients with acute variceal bleeding (AVB) and cirrhosis who have a high risk of death (Child-Pugh class B with active bleeding at endoscopy or Child-Pugh class C). It has been proposed that patients of Child-Pugh class B, even with active bleeding, should not be considered high risk. Alternative criteria have been proposed for identification of high-risk patients, such as Child-Pugh class C with plasma level of creatinine of 1 mg/dL or more (ChildC-C1) and a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score of 19 or more. We analyzed outcomes of a large cohort of patients with AVB who received the standard of care at different centers to validate these systems of risk stratification. METHODS: We performed an observational study of 915 patients with liver cirrhosis and AVB who received standard treatment (drugs, antibiotics, and endoscopic ligation, with TIPS as the rescue treatment), over different time periods between 2006 and 2014 in Canada and Europe. All patients were followed until day 42 (week 6) after index AVB or death. Child-Pugh and MELD scores were calculated at time of hospital admission. The primary outcome was mortality 6 weeks after index AVB among patients who met the early TIPS criteria (Child-Pugh class B with active bleeding at endoscopy or Child-Pugh class C), MELD19 criteria (patients with MELD scores of 19 or more), and ChildC-C1 criteria. RESULTS: Among 915 patients with AVB, 18% died within 6 weeks. Among the 523 patients who met the early TIPS criteria, 17% died within 6 weeks. All 3 rules discriminated patients at high risk of death from those with low risk: 28.3% of the patients classified as high risk by the early TIPS criteria died whereas only 7.0% of patients classified as low risk died; 46.0% of patients classified as high risk by the MELD19 criteria died vs 8.1% of patients classified as low risk; 51.9% of patients classified as high risk by the ChildC-C1 criteria died compared with 10.9% of patients classified as low risk. Mortality was significantly lower among patients with Child-Pugh class B (11.7%) than with Child-Pugh class C (35.6%) (P ≤ .001). Mortality was similar between patients with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis with or without active bleeding (11.7%). Patients with Child-Pugh class A cirrhosis or MELD scores of 11 or less had low mortality (2%-4%), patients with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis or MELD scores of 12 to 18 had intermediate mortality (10%-12%), and patients with Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis or MELD scores of 19 or more had high mortality (22%-46%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis and AVB who receive standard therapy, regardless of the presence of active bleeding, have 3-fold lower mortality than patients with Child-Pugh C cirrhosis and might not need TIPS. Patients with Child-Pugh class C and/or MELD scores of 19 or more should be considered at high risk of death. These findings might help refine criteria for early TIPS.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Early placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) is considered the treatment of choice for patients with acute variceal bleeding (AVB) and cirrhosis who have a high risk of death (Child-Pugh class B with active bleeding at endoscopy or Child-Pugh class C). It has been proposed that patients of Child-Pugh class B, even with active bleeding, should not be considered high risk. Alternative criteria have been proposed for identification of high-risk patients, such as Child-Pugh class C with plasma level of creatinine of 1 mg/dL or more (ChildC-C1) and a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score of 19 or more. We analyzed outcomes of a large cohort of patients with AVB who received the standard of care at different centers to validate these systems of risk stratification. METHODS: We performed an observational study of 915 patients with liver cirrhosis and AVB who received standard treatment (drugs, antibiotics, and endoscopic ligation, with TIPS as the rescue treatment), over different time periods between 2006 and 2014 in Canada and Europe. All patients were followed until day 42 (week 6) after index AVB or death. Child-Pugh and MELD scores were calculated at time of hospital admission. The primary outcome was mortality 6 weeks after index AVB among patients who met the early TIPS criteria (Child-Pugh class B with active bleeding at endoscopy or Child-Pugh class C), MELD19 criteria (patients with MELD scores of 19 or more), and ChildC-C1 criteria. RESULTS: Among 915 patients with AVB, 18% died within 6 weeks. Among the 523 patients who met the early TIPS criteria, 17% died within 6 weeks. All 3 rules discriminated patients at high risk of death from those with low risk: 28.3% of the patients classified as high risk by the early TIPS criteria died whereas only 7.0% of patients classified as low risk died; 46.0% of patients classified as high risk by the MELD19 criteria died vs 8.1% of patients classified as low risk; 51.9% of patients classified as high risk by the ChildC-C1 criteria died compared with 10.9% of patients classified as low risk. Mortality was significantly lower among patients with Child-Pugh class B (11.7%) than with Child-Pugh class C (35.6%) (P ≤ .001). Mortality was similar between patients with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis with or without active bleeding (11.7%). Patients with Child-Pugh class A cirrhosis or MELD scores of 11 or less had low mortality (2%-4%), patients with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis or MELD scores of 12 to 18 had intermediate mortality (10%-12%), and patients with Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis or MELD scores of 19 or more had high mortality (22%-46%). CONCLUSIONS:Patients with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis and AVB who receive standard therapy, regardless of the presence of active bleeding, have 3-fold lower mortality than patients with Child-Pugh C cirrhosis and might not need TIPS. Patients with Child-Pugh class C and/or MELD scores of 19 or more should be considered at high risk of death. These findings might help refine criteria for early TIPS.
Authors: Theresa Bucsics; Maria Schoder; Magdalena Diermayr; Maria Feldner-Busztin; Nicolas Goeschl; David Bauer; Philipp Schwabl; Mattias Mandorfer; Bernhard Angermayr; Manfred Cejna; Arnulf Ferlitsch; Wolfgang Sieghart; Michael Trauner; Markus Peck-Radosavljevic; Josef Karner; Franz Karnel; Thomas Reiberger Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-01-09 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Sona Frankova; Mariia Lunova; Halima Gottfriedova; Renata Senkerikova; Magdalena Neroldova; Jozef Kovac; Eva Kieslichova; Vera Lanska; Petr Urbanek; Julius Spicak; Milan Jirsa; Jan Sperl Journal: PLoS One Date: 2021-01-07 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: M Lunova; S Frankova; H Gottfriedova; R Senkerikova; M Neroldova; J Kovac; E Kieslichova; V Lanska; E Sticova; J Spicak; M Jirsa; J Sperl Journal: Physiol Res Date: 2021-06-01 Impact factor: 1.881
Authors: Dhiraj Tripathi; Adrian J Stanley; Peter C Hayes; Simon Travis; Matthew J Armstrong; Emmanuel A Tsochatzis; Ian A Rowe; Nicholas Roslund; Hamish Ireland; Mandy Lomax; Joanne A Leithead; Homoyon Mehrzad; Richard J Aspinall; Joanne McDonagh; David Patch Journal: Gut Date: 2020-02-29 Impact factor: 23.059