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Impact of COVID-19 on Patients with Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis

Tudor Voicu Moga1,2, Camelia Foncea1,2, Renata Bende1,2

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Piața Eftimie Murgu 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania.

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 25, 2023
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 significantly worsened outcomes for patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC). The study found higher infection rates, longer hospital stays, and a dramatically increased mortality rate in DLC patients with COVID-19 compared to those without.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC) is a severe condition associated with high morbidity and mortality.
  • The impact of COVID-19 on patients with DLC remains incompletely understood, particularly concerning disease progression and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 infection on decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC) patients.
  • To compare outcomes including acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), hospitalization duration, and mortality between COVID-19 positive and negative DLC patients.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of 145 patients with diagnosed liver cirrhosis was conducted.
  • Patients were divided into COVID-19 positive (45/145) and negative groups, with data collected at hospital admission.
  • Outcomes such as ACLF, chronic liver failure acute decompensation (CLIF-AD), hospitalization length, and mortality factors were compared.

Main Results:

  • COVID-19 patients exhibited a significantly higher proportion of associated infections (p = 0.0041).
  • Mortality was substantially higher in the COVID-19 group (46.7%) compared to the non-COVID-19 group (15%) (p = 0.0001).
  • Pulmonary injury in COVID-19 patients was linked to increased mortality in both ACLF and non-ACLF groups.

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 infection significantly exacerbates disease progression in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.
  • Key adverse impacts include increased associated infections, prolonged hospitalization, and elevated mortality rates.
  • Pulmonary injury emerges as a critical independent factor for mortality in this vulnerable patient population.

Keywords:
COVID-19decompensated liver cirrhosisoutcome

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