Assessment of mental health in patients with chronic liver disease.

Content available: Audio Recording.

Successful Treatment of Tenofovir Alafenamide-Induced Lactic Acidosis: A Case Report.

Nucleoside or nucleotide analogues (NAs) have the potential to cause lactic acidosis by inhibiting DNA polymerase-γ of human mitochondria and impairing aerobic metabolism. Patients may be asymptomatic, have mild non-specific symptoms, or present in multisystem organ failure. There is a paucity of data to guide management of life-threatening lactic acidosis due to NA therapy.

Palliative care experience and perceived gaps in training among transplant hepatology fellows: A national survey.

Despite the likely benefits of palliative care (PC) for patients with cirrhosis, physician experiences and perspectives about best practices are variable. We aimed to assess PC experience and gaps in training among transplant hepatology fellows. We conducted a national survey of all transplant hepatology fellows enrolled in accredited fellowship programs during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About End-Stage Liver Disease.

End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is an increasingly prevalent condition with high morbidity and mortality, especially for those ineligible for liver transplantation. Patients with ESLD, along with their family caregivers, have significant needs related to their quality of life, and there is increasing attention being paid to integration of palliative care (PC) principles into routine care throughout the disease spectrum. To provide upstream care for these patients and their family caregivers, it is essential for PC providers to understand their complex psychosocial and physical needs and to be aware of the unique challenges around medical decision making and end-of-life care for this patient population.

Hepatitis E Virus Infection in the United States: Current Understanding of the Prevalence and Significance in the Liver Transplant Patient Population and Proposed Diagnostic and Treatment Strategies.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), of the family Herpesviridae, is a virus that infects nearly 20 million people per year throughout the world. HEV is most commonly transmitted via the fecal-oral route and has long been described as a virus that afflicts only those in resource-poor countries. However, HEV has been detected in numerous animal carriers, various food sources, and even in human blood products in resource-rich regions of the world.

Atrial fibrillation is highly prevalent yet undertreated in patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Background & Aims: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease. Atrial fibrillation is a prominent risk marker for underlying cardiovascular disease with a prevalence of 2% in patients <65 years old. Atrial fibrillation prevalence in NASH is unknown.

A point-based prediction model for cardiovascular risk in orthotopic liver transplantation: The CAR-OLT score.

Unlabelled: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications are important causes of morbidity and mortality after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). There is currently no preoperative risk-assessment tool that allows physicians to estimate the risk for CVD events following OLT. We sought to develop a point-based prediction model (risk score) for CVD complications after OLT, the Cardiovascular Risk in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation risk score, among a cohort of 1,024 consecutive patients aged 18-75 years who underwent first OLT in a tertiary-care teaching hospital (2002-2011).

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Induced Acute Liver Failure and Injury.

Objectives: The increasing use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) has been associated with a rising incidence of CAM-induced drug-induced liver injury (DILI). The aim of this study was to examine the clinical features and outcomes among patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and acute liver injury (ALI) enrolled in the Acute Liver Failure Study Group database, comparing CAM-induced with prescription medicine (PM)-induced DILI.

Methods: A total of 2,626 hospitalized patients with ALF/ALI of any etiology were prospectively enrolled between 1998 and 2015 from 32 academic transplant centers.

The utility of pulmonary function testing in predicting outcomes following liver transplantation.

Although pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are routinely performed in patients during the evaluation period before liver transplantation (LT), their utility in predicting post-LT mortality and morbidity outcomes is not known. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of obstructive and/or restrictive lung disease on post-LT outcomes. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who had pre-LT PFTs and underwent a subsequent LT (2007-2013).

Physical activity as a treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review.

Aim: To review the effectiveness of exercise as a therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and potential benefits in treating insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.

Methods: Medline (EBSCOhost) and PubMed were searched for English-language randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies in human adults aged ≥ 18 which investigated the various effects of exercise alone, a combination of exercise and diet, or exercise and diet coupled with behavioral modification on NAFLD from 2010 to Feburary 2015.

Results: Eighteen of 2298 available studies were chosen for critical review, which included 6925 patients.

A Clinical Decision Rule Based on the AST-to-Platelet Ratio Index Improves Adherence to Published Guidelines on the Management of Acute Variceal Bleeding.

Background: Optimal management of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) depends on identifying a variceal versus nonvariceal etiology. An objective measure predicting etiology could guide early management pending endoscopy. The AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) score has been studied as a marker of cirrhosis and portal hypertension, but has not been evaluated in the setting of acute UGIB.

SlimQuick™-Associated Hepatotoxicity Resulting in Fulminant Liver Failure and Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

Green tea extract is a popular ingredient in herbal weight loss supplements. There have been reports of hepatotoxicity associated with the use of dietary supplements, some of these cases lead to fatal outcomes. To our knowledge, we report the first case of fulminant hepatic failure requiring orthotopic liver transplantation caused by SlimQuick™ (Wellnx Life Sciences, Wilmington, DE), a widely available weight loss supplement containing green tea extract.