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Associations of Fatty Liver Disease With Recovery After Traumatic Injury
Katherine Stern1, H Laura Aaltonen2, Mike Weykamp3
1Division of Trauma, Burn & Critical Care, Department of Surgery, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Washington; Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington; University of California San Francisco East Bay General Surgery Residency Program, Oakland, California; University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
Fatty liver disease (FLD) impacts recovery from traumatic injury. Moderate/severe FLD is linked to slower lactate clearance, while recovery from systemic inflammation varies with shock status in injured adults.
Area of Science:
- Trauma critical care
- Hepatology
- Medical imaging
Background:
- Fatty liver disease (FLD) is linked to systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.
- Limited data exists on FLD's impact on traumatic injury recovery in adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between fatty liver disease (FLD) and recovery from critical illness and organ dysfunction in adults with traumatic injuries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 510 adults in a level 1 trauma ICU (2016-2020).
- FLD severity assessed via liver-spleen attenuation difference (HU L-S) on noncontrast CT scans: none, mild, or moderate/severe.
- Cox models analyzed recovery from SIRS, organ dysfunction, and lactate clearance in relation to FLD status.
Main Results:
- Fifty-one participants had mild FLD and 29 had moderate/severe FLD.
- FLD's association with SIRS recovery differed based on shock: HR 0.76 (with shock) vs. 1.81 (without shock).
- Moderate/severe FLD was associated with lower hazard of lactate clearance (HR 0.40) compared to no FLD.
Conclusions:
- Fatty liver disease is prevalent in injured adults.
- FLD's impact on outcomes following shock and critical illness requires further investigation.
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