Incidence and risk factors for mortality in patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to determine the mortality in Indian patients awaiting liver transplantation and to assess the impact of cirrhosis-related complications (CRCs) on mortality. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study on patients of Indian origin, aged >18 years, with cirrhosis liver (confirmed by imaging and/or liver biopsy), and registered for liver transplant (LTx) between November 2015 and May 2016. Patients were followed up for at least a year. Any admission or day-care procedure for complications after registration was recorded as an event, and outcome was noted as recovered, deterioration, or death. The primary end point of the study was LTx, survival, or death. Patients undergoing transplantation were grouped with survivors for analysis of factors predicting waitlist mortality. Statistics: t-test, Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and univariate and logistic regression analyses were used for statistical analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 227 (72.3%) registered patients survived. Waitlist mortality at 1 year was 27.7%, and the waitlist mortality rate was 33.8 deaths/100 patient-years. A significant proportion of nonsurvivors belonged to the Child–Turcotte–Pugh C score (P = 0.031), with higher Model for End Stage Liver Disease (P = 0.002) and greater frequency of CRC (P < 0.001). Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), renal dysfunction (RD), infection, and variceal bleeding were significantly associated with death. A higher proportion of nonsurvivors had combination of more than two CRCs. Conclusion: The waitlist mortality was 27.7%. Complications such as variceal bleed, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, HE, and RD were significantly high in nonsurvivors.

Keywords

• Cirrhosis
• liver transplantation
• mortality