Morbidity and mortality of infections in the cirrhotic patients: a US population-based study

This study aims to investigate the morbidity, mortality, and health care utilization of infection in patients with cirrhosis, with the hope of making clinical recommendations.

The pathophysiology of liver cirrhosis makes patients susceptible to a variety of complications including infection. It contributes to a staggering rate of death and places a tremendous financial burden on the health care system.

The pathophysiology of liver cirrhosis makes patients susceptible to a variety of complications including infection. It contributes to a staggering rate of death and places a tremendous financial burden on the health care system.

In this cross-sectional study, we queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for patients discharged from United States (US) hospitals with International classification of diseases (ICD) diagnostic codes consistent with liver cirrhosis, between January 2011 and December 2014. The patients were classified based upon the presence or absence of an infection, as well as their demographics and comorbidities. The data was then analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 25 statistical software.

From 2011 to 2014, 660,727 cirrhotic patients were identified. Of these, 20.6% were found to have an infection. The mortality rate during hospitalization was 4.7% of all cirrhotic patients. The hospital length of stay was significantly longer for the study group than the control group (8.22 days versus 5.11 days) (P <0.0001). Similarly, the mean hospital cost was higher in the study group compared to the control group ($74,729.53 ± $125,963.75 vs. $46,413.32 ± $71,936.50 P< 0.0001).