Early discharge after paediatric liver biopsy: A prospective observational study

To evaluate the safety of early discharge after percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) in children using prospective bleeding risk stratification.

In this prospective observational cohort study, paediatric patients scheduled for PLB were stratified into low- and high-risk groups based on bleeding history and laboratory values. Low-risk patients were discharged after 6 h, while high-risk patients were observed for 24 h. Outcomes included bleeding complications, transfusion requirements and readmissions.

A total of 167 patients underwent PLB; 119 (71%) were classified as low-risk and 48 (29%) as high-risk. Two minor bleeding events occurred, both in the high-risk group. Only high-risk patients received blood products prior to PLB.

Pre-procedural risk stratification effectively identifies paediatric patients bleeding risk and eligibility for early discharge after PLB. This approach appears safe and can reduce hospital admission time for low-risk patients.