The attributable mortality of acute renal failure in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis

Achievements and challenges in bioartificial kidney development

Bioartificial kidneys (BAKs) combine a conventional hemofilter in series with a bioreactor unit containing renal epithelial cells. The epithelial cells derived from the renal tubule should provide transport, metabolic, endocrinologic and immunomodulatory functions. Currently, primary human renal proximal tubule cells are most relevant for clinical applications. However, the use of human primary cells is associated with many obstacles, and the development of alternatives and an unlimited cell source is one of the most urgent challenges. BAKs have been applied in Phase I/II and Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of critically ill patients with acute renal failure. Significant effects on cytokine concentrations and long-term survival were observed. A subsequent Phase IIb clinical trial was discontinued after an interim analysis, and these results showed that further intense research on BAK-based therapies for acute renal failure was required. Development of BAK-based therapies for the treatment of patients suffering from end-stage renal disease is even more challenging, and related problems and research approaches are discussed herein, along with the development of mobile, portable, wearable and implantable devices.

Balancing volume resuscitation and ascites management in cirrhosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Patients with cirrhosis have total extracellular fluid overload but central effective circulating hypovolaemia. The resulting neurohumoral compensatory response favours the accumulation of fluids into the peritoneal cavity (ascites) and may hinder renal perfusion (hepatorenal syndrome). Their deranged systemic haemodynamics (hyperdynamic circulatory syndrome) is characterized by elevated cardiac output with decreased systemic vascular resistance and low blood pressure.

RECENT FINDINGS

Molecular and biological mechanisms determining cirrhosis-induced haemodynamic alterations are progressively being elucidated. The need for a goal-directed assessment of volume resuscitation (especially with volumetric techniques) in patients with cirrhosis is becoming more and more evident. The role of fluid expansion with albumin and the use of splanchnic vasopressors in a variety of cirrhosis-related conditions has recently been investigated.

SUMMARY

The response to fluid loading in patients with advanced cirrhosis is abnormal, primarily resulting in expansion of their noncentral blood volume compartment. Colloid solutions, in particular albumin, are best used in these patients. Albumin may be effective in preventing the haemodynamic derangements associated with large-volume paracentesis (paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction), in preventing renal failure during spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and, in association with splanchnic vasopressors, in caring for patients with the hepatorenal syndrome.

Outcomes of critically ill patients with cirrhosis admitted to intensive care: an important perspective from the non-transplant setting

BACKGROUND

Hospital admissions for cirrhosis have been increasing in the United Kingdom, leading to increased pressure on intensive care (ICU) services. Outcome data for patients admitted to ICU are currently limited to transplant centre reports, with mortality rates exceeding 70%. These tertiary reports could fuel a negative bias when patients with cirrhosis are reviewed for ICU admission in secondary care.

AIMS

To determine whether disease severity and mortality rates in non-transplant general ICU are less severe than those reported by tertiary datasets.

METHODS

A prospective dual-centre non-transplant ICU study. Admissions were screened for cirrhosis and physiological and biochemical data were collected. Disease-specific and critical illness scoring systems were evaluated.

RESULTS

Cirrhosis was present in 137/4198 (3.3%) of ICU admissions. ICU and hospital mortality were 38% and 47%, respectively; median age 50 [43-59] years, 68% men, 72% alcoholic cirrhosis, median Child Pugh Score (CPS) 10 [8-11], Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) 18 [12-24], Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (APACHE II) 16 [13-22].

CONCLUSIONS

Mortality rates and disease staging were notably lower than in the published literature, suggesting that patients have a more favourable outlook than previously considered. Transplant centre data should therefore be interpreted with caution when evaluating the merits of intensive care admission for patients in general secondary care ICUs.

Innate immune dysfunction in acute and chronic liver disease

Liver cirrhosis is a common disease causing great public-health concern because of the frequent complications requiring hospital care. Acute liver failure is also prone to several complications but is rare. One of the main complications for both acute and chronic liver diseases is infection, which regularly causes decompensation of cirrhosis, possibly leading to organ failure and death. This review focuses on innate immune function in cirrhosis, acute-on-chronic liver failure and acute liver failure. The known defects of Kupffer cells, neutrophils and monocytes are discussed, together with the pathophysiological importance of gut permeability, portal hypertension and intrinsic cellular defects, and the role of endotoxin, albumin, lipoproteins and toll-like receptors. Based on these different pathomechanisms, the available information on therapeutic strategies is presented. Antibiotic and probiotic treatment, nutritional support, artificial liver support, and experimental strategies such as inhibition of toll-like receptors and use of albumin and colony-stimulating factors are highlighted.

RIFLE classification as predictive factor of mortality in patients with cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit

BACKGROUND AND AIM

To evaluate the association of the Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss and End-stage renal failure (RIFLE) score on mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

A cohort of 412 patients with cirrhosis consecutively admitted to ICU was classified according to the RIFLE score. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors associated with mortality. Liver-specific, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and RIFLE scores on admission, were compared by receiver-operator characteristic curves.

RESULTS

The overall mortality during ICU stay or within 6 weeks after discharge from ICU was 61.2%, but decreased over time (76% during first interval, 1989-1992 vs 50% during the last, 2005-2006, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that RIFLE score (odds ratio: 2.1, P < 0.001) was an independent factor significantly associated with mortality. Although SOFA had the best discrimination (area under receiver-operator characteristic curve = 0.84), and the APACHE II had the best calibration, the RIFLE score had the best sensitivity (90%) to predict death in patients during follow up.

CONCLUSIONS

RIFLE score was significantly associated with mortality, confirming the importance of renal failure in this large cohort of patients with cirrhosis admitted to ICU, but it is less useful than other scores.

The systemic inflammatory response syndrome in cirrhotic patients: relationship with their in-hospital outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Some evidence suggests that the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) contributes to the poor outcome of cirrhotic patients. We studied 141 cirrhotic patients consecutively admitted to a tertiary referral centre assessing prevalence of SIRS and its relationship with in-hospital outcome.

METHODS

Presence of SIRS was assessed on admission and during hospital stay. Main clinical outcomes were death and development of portal hypertension-related complications.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients met SIRS criteria. SIRS was present on admission in 20 of 141 patients (14.1%), whereas it occurred during hospital stay in 19 of 121 (15.7%). SIRS was correlated with bacterial infection at admission (p=0.02), jaundice (p=0.011), high serum creatinine levels (p=0.04), high serum bilirubin levels (p=0.002), high international normalized ratio (p=0.046), high model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score (p=0.001), and high SOFA score (p=0.003). During a follow-up of 14+/-8 days, 16 patients died (11%), 7 developed portal hypertension-related bleeding (5%), 16 hepatic encephalopathy (11%), and 5 hepatorenal syndrome type-1 (3.5%). SIRS was correlated both to death (p<0.001) and to portal hypertension-related complications (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, SIRS and MELD were independently associated with death.

CONCLUSIONS

SIRS frequently occurs in patients with advanced cirrhosis and is associated with a poor outcome.

Cirrhotics admitted to intensive care unit: the impact of acute renal failure on mortality

BACKGROUND

The exact role of renal dysfunction in critically ill cirrhotics admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) has not been assessed extensively.

AIM

To evaluate the impact of acute renal failure (ARF) on 6 weeks mortality in cirrhotics admitted to ICU.

PATIENTS/METHODS

Three hundred and twelve cirrhotics (182 male, mean age 49.6+/-11.5 years) were consecutively admitted during the study period. The patients (n=128, 40%) (group 1) with ARF on admission and/or during ICU were compared with the patients whose ICU stay was not complicated with ARF (n=184, 60%) (group 2). At admission, 40 variables were available, whereas Child-Turcotte-Pugh, Model for End-stage Liver Disease, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment and Failure Organ System scores on admission, were evaluated and compared by receiver operating characteristic curves.

RESULTS

Group 1, compared with group 2 patients, had longer ICU stay (7 vs. 4 days, P=0.04) and required cardiovascular support more frequently with inotropes (90 vs. 75%), (P<0.001). Mortality was significantly higher in group 1, compared with group 2 (91 vs. 47%, P<0.001). At admission, group 1, compared with group 2, had significantly higher Child-Turcotte-Pugh (12 vs. 11), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (22 vs. 17), Model for End-stage Liver Disease (31 vs. 21), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (13 vs. 9) and Failure Organ System (3 vs. 2) scores (P<0.001). In group 1, factors independently associated with mortality were: higher FiO2 (P=0.044), bilirubin (P=0.021) and creatinine (P=0.002) on admission. Mortality was not significantly different between those with ARF on admission, and those who developed ARF during ICU stay.

CONCLUSION

ARF at admission or during ICU stay is strongly predictive of mortality, which is high, despite supportive therapeutic interventions. Preventive measures are needed to prevent ARF, to improve prognosis.

'Relation, association, attribution ...' - the multiple faces of death in critical care medicine

Mortality is one of the most important quality markers in critical care, and there have been many epidemiological studies trying to identify risk factors to better understand the mechanisms leading to death in this complex disease. One of the major problems is that there are multiple factors contributing to fatal outcome of septic patients, and it is difficult to distinguish between those that are independent from the acute disease (comorbidities and 'risk factors') and those that are directly involved in the pathomechanisms of sepsis, thus leading to the 'sepsis-attributable' mortality. In this short commentary, some examples of different approaches of how to analyze data on mortality are presented.

Risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis

AIM: To evaluate the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in cirrhotic patients and to identify risk factors for the development of CIN.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 216 consecutive patients with cirrhosis who underwent computed tomography (CT) with intravenous contrast at the University of Rochester between the years 2000-2005. We retrospectively examined factors associated with a high risk for CIN, defined as a decrease in creatinine clearance of 25% or greater within one week after receiving contrast.

RESULTS: Twenty-five percent of our patients developed CIN, and 74% of these patients had ascites seen on CT. Of the 75% of patients who did not develop CIN, only 46% had ascites. The presence of ascites was a significant risk factor for the development of CIN (P = 0.0009, OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.55-7.34) in multivariate analysis. Patient age, serum sodium, Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, diuretic use, and the presence of diabetes were not found to be significant risk factors for the development of CIN. Of the patients who developed CIN, 11% developed chronic renal insufficiency, defined as a creatinine clearance less than baseline for 6 wk.

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that in hospitalized cirrhotic patients, especially those with ascites, the risk of CIN is substantial.

Prognosis and 1-year mortality of intensive care unit patients with severe hepatic encephalopathy

PURPOSE

Data regarding outcome of patients with chronic liver disease with severe hepatic encephalopathy in intensive care unit are currently scarce.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective observational case series in a medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a university hospital from 1995 to 2005. Patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) (admitted with or developing) were identified. Clinical and laboratory parameters were analyzed to determinate predictors of ICU and 1-year mortality.

RESULTS

Seventy-one patients were included (53 male). Median Simplified Acute Physiology Score was 56 with Child-Pugh score 11 +/- 2. Seventy-six percent of patients were admitted with coma (Glasgow Coma Scale, 7.7 +/- 4). Eighty-two percent of patients required intubation, and 28% vasopressors. Thirty-five percent died during ICU stay. At 1 year, mortality was 54%. Univariate analysis identified arterial hypotension, mechanical ventilation, vasopressors at any time, acute renal failure, Simplified Acute Physiology Score, and sepsis associated with ICU mortality. In multivariate analysis, vasopressor use or acute renal failure was the main independent predictor of ICU death and 1-year mortality. Patients free of these risk factors, even requiring intubation, were identified as isolated HE, with lower mortality rates.

CONCLUSION

Predictors of outcome were similar to other groups of patients with liver disease admitted for other reasons. Intensive care unit mortality was lower than reported for other groups of patients with similar illness. Patients with severe HE admitted to ICU with no organ dysfunction other than mechanical ventilation had a better outcome and may require ICU admission.

Acute kidney injury in cirrhosis

Acute renal failure (ARF), recently renamed acute kidney injury (AKI), is a relatively frequent problem, occurring in approximately 20% of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. Although serum creatinine may underestimate the degree of renal dysfunction in cirrhosis, measures to diagnose and treat AKI should be made in patients in whom serum creatinine rises abruptly by 0.3 mg/dL or more (>/=26.4 micromol/L) or increases by 150% or more (1.5-fold) from baseline. The most common causes of ARF (the term is used interchangeably with AKI) in cirrhosis are prerenal azotemia (volume-responsive prerenal AKI), acute tubular necrosis, and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), a functional type of prerenal AKI exclusive of cirrhosis that does not respond to volume repletion. Because of the progressive vasodilatory state of cirrhosis that leads to relative hypovolemia and decreased renal blood flow, patients with decompensated cirrhosis are very susceptible to developing AKI with events associated with a decrease in effective arterial blood volume. HRS can occur spontaneously but is more frequently precipitated by events that worsen vasodilatation, such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

CONCLUSION

Specific therapies of AKI depend on the most likely cause and mechanism. Vasoconstrictors are useful bridging therapies in HRS. Ultimately, liver transplantation is indicated in otherwise reasonable candidates in whom AKI does not resolve with specific therapy.

Haemodynamic effects of plasma-expansion with hyperoncotic albumin in cirrhotic patients with renal failure: a prospective interventional study

Background

Patients with advanced cirrhosis of the liver typically display circulatory disturbance. Haemodynamic management may be critical for avoiding and treating functional renal failure in such patients. This study investigated the effects of plasma expansion with hyperoncotic albumin solution and the role of static haemodynamic parameters in predicting volume responsiveness in patients with advanced cirrhosis.

Methods

Patients with advanced cirrhosis (Child B and C) of the liver receiving albumin substitution because of renal compromise were studied using trans-pulmonary thermodilution. Paired measurements before and after two infusions of 200 ml of 20% albumin per patient were recorded and standard haemodynamic parameters such as central venous pressure (CVP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), cardiac index (CI) and derived variables were assessed, including global end-diastolic blood volume index (GEDVI), a parameter that reflects central blood volume

Results

100 measurements in 50 patients (33 m/17 w; age 56 years (± 8); Child-Pugh-score 12 (± 2), serum creatinine 256 μmol (± 150) were analyzed. Baseline values suggested decreased central blood volumes GEDVI = 675 ml/m² (± 138) despite CVP within the normal range (11 mmHg (± 5). After infusion, GEDVI, CI and CVP increased (682 ml/m² (± 128) vs. 744 ml/m² (± 171), p < 0.001; 4.3 L/min/m² (± 1.1) vs. 4.7 L/min/m² (± 1.1), p < 0.001; 12 mmHg (± 6) vs. 14 mmHg (± 6), p < 0.001 respectively) and systemic vascular resistance decreased (1760 dyn s/cm⁵/m² (± 1144) vs. 1490 dyn s/cm⁵/m² (± 837); p < 0.001). Changes in GEDVI, but not CVP, correlated with changes in CI (r² = 0.51; p < 0.001). To assess the value of static haemodynamic parameters at baseline in predicting an increase in CI of 10%, receiver-operating-characteristic curves were constructed. The areas under the curve were 0.766 (p < 0.001) for SVRI, 0.723 (p < 0.001) for CI, 0.652 (p = 0.010) for CVP and 0.616 (p = 0.050) for GEDVI.

Conclusion

In a substantial proportion of patients with advanced cirrhosis, plasma expansion results in an increase in central blood volume. GEDVI but not CVP behaves as an indicator of cardiac preload, whereas high baseline SVRI is predictive of fluid responsiveness.

Outcome of patients with cirrhosis admitted to intensive care

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The incidence of cirrhosis is increasing exponentially and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This cirrhotic population is prone to infection, which is a frequent precipitant for the development of organ dysfunction; a syndrome often referred to as 'acute-on-chronic' liver failure. Historically, the perception of cirrhosis with organ dysfunction as having a poor prognosis has led to invariably iniquitous access to intensive care. Data to support this view, however, are lacking.

RECENT FINDINGS

Acute variceal bleeding is associated with markedly improved survival and warrants organ support in intensive care. Survival correlates directly with the number of organs failing, with sepsis and multiorgan failure resulting in over 90% mortality. The requirement for renal replacement therapy confers a poor prognosis in patients not suitable for liver transplantation.

SUMMARY

Admission to intensive care for many patients with cirrhosis is not futile, particularly for those with single organ dysfunction and acute variceal bleeding. It can be extremely challenging to manage patients with organ dysfunction and encephalopathy in a ward environment, and these patients frequently require, and indeed benefit from, augmented levels of care in high-dependency and intensive care environments.

Pulmonary complications after acute kidney injury

The development of respiratory failure in patients with AKI is a particularly devastating consequence that greatly increases patient mortality. When respiratory failure and AKI occur together, the mortality is greater than 80%. A clear understanding of the mechanisms leading to respiratory failure is of great clinical relevance to patients with AKI in order to prevent and treat this life-threatening complication. Pulmonary edema leading to respiratory failure has been a recognized complication of kidney failure since 1901. Remarkably, the pathogenesis of this complication remains elusive, despite over 100 years of clinical and experimental debate in the literature. A review of this literature suggests that there are 4 causes of pulmonary edema leading to respiratory failure in patients with AKI: (1) volume overload (cardiogenic edema), (2) left ventricular dysfunction (cardiogenic edema), (3) increased lung capillary permeability (noncardiogenic edema), and (4) acute lung injury (noncardiogenic edema with inflammation). In this review, these mechanisms are presented in historical context including the original descriptions of pathology and pathophysiology, recent epidemiologic data, and experimental studies in animals. Although volume overload is a well-accepted mechanism of pulmonary edema in patients with AKI, the purpose of this review was to highlight the evidence showing that noncardiogenic edema and acute lung injury also occur. By recognizing that the pulmonary complications of AKI are not simply from volume overload, specific treatment strategies may be discovered and used to improve outcomes in patients with the ominous and life threatening combination of AKI and respiratory failure.

Effects of plasma expansion with albumin and paracentesis on haemodynamics and kidney function in critically ill cirrhotic patients with tense ascites and hepatorenal syndrome: a prospective uncontrolled trial

Introduction

Circulatory dysfunction in cirrhotic patients may cause a specific kind of functional renal failure termed hepato-renal syndrome (HRS). It contributes to the high incidence of renal failure in cirrhotic intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Fluid therapy may aggravate renal failure by increasing ascites and intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). This study investigates the short-term effects of paracentesis on haemodynamics and kidney function in volume resuscitated patients with HRS.

Methods

Nineteen consecutive cirrhotic patients with HRS were studied. Circulatory parameters and renal function were analysed before and after plasma expansion and paracentesis. Haemodynamic monitoring was performed by transpulmonary thermodilution.

Results

After infusion of 200 ml of 20% human albumin solution, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and central venous pressure remained unchanged. Global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI) increased from 791 ml m^-2 (693 to 862) (median and 25th to 75th percentile) to 844 ml m^-2 (751 to 933). Cardiac index (CI) increased from 4.1 l min^-1 m^-2 (3.6 to 5.0) to 4.7 l min^-1 m^-2 (4.0 to 5.8), whereas systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) decreased from 1,422 dyn s cm^-5 m^-2 (1,081 to 1,772) to 1,171 dyn s cm^-5 m^-2 (893 to 1,705). Creatinine clearance (CC) and fractional excretion of sodium (FeNa) were not affected. During paracentesis, IAP decreased from 22 mmHg (18 to 24) to 9 mmHg (8 to 12). MAP decreased from 81 mmHg (74 to 100) to 80 mmHg (71 to 89), and CI increased from 4.1 l min^-1 m^-2 (3.2 to 4.3) to 4.2 l min^-1 m^-2 (3.6 to 4.7), whereas SVRI decreased from 1,639 dyn s cm^-5 m^-2 (1,168 to 2,037) to 1,301 dyn s cm^-5 m^-2 (1,124 to 1,751). CC during the 12-hour interval after paracentesis was significantly higher than during the 12 hours before (33 ml min^-1 (16 to 50) compared with 23 ml min^-1 (12 to 49)). CC remained elevated for the rest of the observation period. FeNa increased after paracentesis but returned to baseline levels after 24 hours.

Conclusion

Paracentesis with parameter-guided fluid substitution and maintenance of central blood volume may improve renal function and is safe in the treatment of ICU patients with hepato-renal failure.

Hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism syndrome, plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 and outcome in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relation between the adrenal production of gluco- and mineralocorticoids, the inflammatory status and the outcome in critically ill patients with liver cirrhosis.

DESIGN

Prospective descriptive study.

SETTING

Medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a university hospital.

PATIENTS

Fifty consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis.

INTERVENTIONS

A corticotropin stimulation test within 12h following ICU admission. Plasma cortisol concentration was measured before and after the test. Renin and aldosterone concentrations, as well as interleukin-6 (IL-6) level to assess the pro-inflammatory status, were measured only before the test. Impaired adrenal function was defined as cortisol response to the test less than 9microg/dl. Hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism syndrome was defined as basal renin over aldosterone ratio (RRA) higher than 2.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

Forty-one (82%) patients had impaired adrenal function, and 26 patients (52%) presented with RRA > 2. Patients with RRA > 2 exhibited greater disease severity and organ dysfunction scores at baseline, higher levels of serum renin and IL-6, and a greater ICU mortality rate, but risk-adjusted mortality rates were not different between the two groups. Renin and IL-6 plasma concentrations were positively correlated. Finally, in a Cox regression analysis, independent predictors of 30-day mortality were hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism syndrome, IL-6 higher than 400pg/ml and severe renal failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Adrenal dysfunction was common in critically ill cirrhotic patients. Hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism syndrome was related to a greater pro-inflammatory status and degree of acute organ failure, and was independently associated with a worse prognosis.

RIFLE classification can predict short-term prognosis in critically ill cirrhotic patients

OBJECTIVE

End-stage liver disease is frequently complicated by renal function disturbances. Cirrhotic patients with renal failure admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) have high mortality rates. This study analyzed the outcomes of critically ill cirrhotic patients and identified the association between prognosis and RIFLE (risk of renal failure, injury to kidney, failure of kidney function, loss of kidney function, and end-stage renal failure) classification, in comparison with other five scoring systems.

DESIGN

Prospective, clinical study.

SETTING

Ten-bed specialized hepatogastroenterology ICU in a university hospital in Taiwan.

PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and thirty-four cirrhotic patients consecutively admitted to ICU during a 1.5-year period.

INTERVENTIONS

Thirty-two demographic, clinical and laboratory variables were analyzed as predictors of survival.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Overall hospital mortality was 65.7%. There was a progressive and significant increase (chi2 for trend: p<0.001) in mortality based on RIFLE classification severity. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that RIFLE classification and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on the first day of ICU admission were independent risk factors for hospital mortality. By using the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), the RIFLE category and SOFA both indicated a good discriminative power (AUROC 0.837+/-0.036 and 0.917+/-0.025; p<0.001). Cumulative survival rates at 6-month follow-up differed significantly (p<0.05) for non-ARF vs. RIFLE-R, RIFLE-I, and RIFLE-F.

CONCLUSION

Both SOFA and RIFLE category showed high discriminative power in predicting hospital mortality in critically ill patients with cirrhosis. The RIFLE classification is a simple and easily applied evaluative tool with good prognostic abilities.

Hospital-acquired and community-acquired acute renal failure in hospitalized Chinese: a ten-year review

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the difference between hospital-acquired acute renal failure (HA-ARF) and community-acquired acute renal failure (CA-ARF) in hospitalized Chinese.

METHODS

The diagnosis of ARF in Peking University Third Hospital from January 1994 to December 2003 was reconfirmed and subdivided into AC-ARF and HA-ARF. Data of epidemiology, etiology, prognosis, and associated factors were analyzed. Single-variable analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the correlation between clinical features and prognosis respectively. Results among 205 reconfirmed CA-ARF had a predominance of 59.5%, but HA-ARF demonstrated an increase by 1.06 during the last five years (p = 0.003). In all, 70.5% CA-ARF was diagnosed in internal medicine with 45.9% in department of nephrology, whereas 59.1% HA-ARF was diagnosed in surgical department with 51.8% in ICU. Distribution difference among departments was significant (p < 0.01). Further, 90.2% CA-ARF was associated with a single factor, while 36.1% of HA-ARF had two or more causes (p < 0.01). Also, 26.5% HA-ARF and 18.9% CA-ARF was drug-associated (p > 0.05) while 24.1% HA-ARF and 12.3% CA-ARF was infection-associated (p < 0.01). HA-ARF vs. CA-ARF was 62.7% vs. 23.0% in mortality (p < 0.01), 0.54 +/- 0.24 vs. 0.27 +/- 0.18 in ATI-ISS index (p < 0.01) and 19.6 +/- 4.9 vs. 15.7 +/- 5.6 in APACHE II scores (p < 0.01). MODS and SIRS were common independent predictors with oliguria for HA-ARF and advanced age for CA-ARF, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In hospitalized Chinese during the last ten years, CA-ARF was still predominant with simpler cause and lower mortality, whereas HA-ARF was increasing with more complicated cause and higher mortality.

The model for end-stage liver disease comes of age

The care of patients who have chronic liver disease has evolved considerably since the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) was first described 6 years ago. This article traces the progress in liver allocation and clinical liver disease research that includes the MELD score and highlights the management of areas in which MELD and the principles underlying MELD enhance the clinician's ability to understand better the patient who has chronic liver disease.

Acute renal failure after bilateral nephrectomy is associated with cytokine-mediated pulmonary injury

Clinical studies demonstrate that acute renal failure (ARF) is associated with increased mortality, which may be due to pulmonary complications. ARF may affect the lung via increased renal production or impaired clearance of mediators of lung injury, such as proinflammatory cytokines. Bilateral nephrectomy is a method to examine directly the deleterious systemic effects of absent renal clearance in ARF without the confounding effects that are associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury (e.g., ischemic ARF) or systemic toxicity (e.g., cisplatin-induced ARF). This study contrasts the effects of ischemic ARF and bilateral nephrectomy on serum cytokines and lung injury. It demonstrates that the acute absence of kidney function after both ischemic ARF and bilateral nephrectomy is associated with an increase in multiple serum cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-1beta, and that the cytokine profiles were distinct. Lung injury after ischemic ARF and bilateral nephrectomy was similar and was characterized by pulmonary vascular congestion and neutrophil infiltration. For investigation of the role of proinflammatory cytokines in pulmonary injury after ARF, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was administered before bilateral nephrectomy. IL-10 treatment improved pulmonary architecture and was associated with a reduction in inflammatory markers, including bronchoalveolar lavage fluid total protein, pulmonary myeloperoxidase activity (a biochemical marker of neutrophils), and the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein 2. These data demonstrate for the first time that the acute absence of kidney function results in pulmonary injury independent of renal ischemia and highlight the critical role of the kidney in the maintenance of serum cytokine balance and pulmonary homeostasis.

Review article: scoring systems for assessing prognosis in critically ill adult cirrhotics

BACKGROUND

Cirrhotic patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) still have poor outcomes. Some current ICU prognostic models [Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE), Organ System Failure (OSF) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA)] were used to stratify cirrhotics into risk categories, but few cirrhotics were included in the original model development. Liver-specific scores [Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD)] could be useful in this setting.

AIM

To evaluate whether ICU prognostic models perform better compared with liver-disease specific ones in cirrhotics admitted to ICU.

METHODS

We performed a structured literature review identifying clinical studies focusing on prognosis and risk factors for mortality in adult cirrhotics admitted to ICU.

RESULTS

We found 21 studies (five solely dealing with gastrointestinal bleeding) published during the last 20 years (54-420 patients in each). APACHE II and III, SOFA and OSF had better discrimination for correctly predicting death compared with the CTP score. The MELD score was evaluated only in one study and had good predictive accuracy [receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve: 0.81). Organ dysfunction models (OSF, SOFA) were superior compared with APACHE II and III (ROC curve: range 0.83-0.94 vs. 0.66-0.88 respectively). Cardiovascular, liver and renal system dysfunction were more frequently independently associated with mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

General-ICU models had better performance in cirrhotic populations compared with CTP score; OSF and SOFA had the best predictive ability. Further prospective and validation studies are needed.