B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) predicts 90-day mortality and need for paracentesis in cirrhotic patients without systolic heart failure.

Fluid overload is a common complication in patients with cirrhosis. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a marker of increased blood volume, commonly used in heart failure, that has been shown to be elevated in patients with liver disease. This study examined if BNP levels can be used to determine prognosis and predict worsening of ascites in patients with cirrhosis without concomitant heart disease.

MELD-Na Is More Strongly Associated with Risk of Infection and Outcomes Than Other Characteristics of Patients with Cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: The nature and outcomes of infection among patients with cirrhosis in safety-net hospitals are not well described. We aimed to characterize the rate of and risk factors for infection, both present on admission and nosocomial, in this unique population. We hypothesized that infections would be associated with adverse outcomes such as short-term mortality.

Risk Factors, Management, and Outcomes of Pyogenic Liver Abscess in a US Safety Net Hospital.

Background: The causes and management of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) have undergone multiple changes over the past decades. It is a relatively rare disease in the USA, and its incidence rate in the USA is increasing. The last US community hospital experience of PLA was published in 2005.

Development and Validation of a Model to Predict Acute Kidney Injury in Hospitalized Patients With Cirrhosis.

Objectives: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis which contributes to morbidity and mortality. Improved prediction of AKI in this population is needed for prevention and early intervention. We developed a model to identify hospitalized patients at risk for AKI.

Thin Patient, Fatty Liver.

A 49-year-old lady with no past medical history presented with dysphagia and 40-pound weight loss, which occurred over eight months. On physical examination, she had proximal muscle weakness and crackles in basilar regions of the lungs. Labs were significant for low albumin, elevated transaminases, and high aldolase.

Early predictors of outcomes of hospitalization for cirrhosis and assessment of the impact of race and ethnicity at safety-net hospitals.

Background: Safety-net hospitals provide care for racially/ethnically diverse and disadvantaged urban populations. Their hospitalized patients with cirrhosis are relatively understudied and may be vulnerable to poor outcomes and racial/ethnic disparities.

Aims: To examine the outcomes of patients with cirrhosis hospitalized at regionally diverse safety-net hospitals and the impact of race/ethnicity.

Single institution experience of sorafenib for advanced HCC in a US tertiary care hospital.

Background: Sorafenib is first line chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There are little real-world experiences with sorafenib done on US population except for the US arm of the GIDEON study, a phase IV multi-national study. In this context, we present a single institution experience with sorafenib for HCC in a tertiary inner-city safety-net hospital of Chicago.

Duodenorenal Fistula after Microwave Ablation Presenting as Melena.

A 53-year-old man presented with melena 3 months after microwave ablation of a renal mass. Esophago-gastroduodenoscopy and radiological imaging revealed that a fistulous tract extended from the duodenum to the right kidney. The patient had a hemorrhage that originated from a branch of the renal artery and bled through the fistulous tract into the duodenal lumen.