Management of portal hypertension and its complications

In the setting of chronic liver disease, portal hypertension and its complications pose major challenges in management. Once it develops, portal hypertension is the source of potentially devastating sequelae, including life-threatening hemorrhage, infection, renal failure, and encephalopathy. Improved understanding of the pathophysiology of these conditions has led to advances in endoscopic, radiologic, medical, and surgical management. The possibility in selected cases of successful amelioration of portal hypertension and its dreaded complications by liver transplantation highlights the importance of timely and careful management of patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Ornipressin in the treatment of functional renal failure in decompensated liver cirrhosis. Effects on renal hemodynamics and atrial natriuretic factor

In 11 patients with decompensated cirrhosis and deteriorating renal function, the effect of the vasoconstrictor substance 8-ornithin vasopressin (ornipressin; POR 8; Sandoz, Basel, Switzerland) on renal function, hemodynamic parameters, and humoral mediators was studied. Ornipressin was infused at a dose of 6 IU/h over a period of 4 hours. During ornipressin infusion an improvement of renal function was achieved as indicated by significant increases in inulin clearance (+65%), paraaminohippuric acid clearance (+49%), urine volume (+45%), sodium excretion (+259%), and fractional elimination of sodium (+130%). The hyperdynamic circulation was reversed to a nearly normal circulatory state. The increase in systemic vascular resistance (+60%) coincided with a decrease of a previously elevated renal vascular resistance (-27%) and increase in renal blood flow (+44%). The renal fraction of the cardiac output increased from 2.3% to 4.7% (P less than 0.05). A decline of the elevated plasma levels of noradrenaline (2.08-1.13 ng/mL; P less than 0.01) and renin activity (27.6-14.2 ng.mL-1.h-1; P less than 0.01) was achieved. The plasma concentration of the atrial natriuretic factor increased in most of the patients, but slightly decreased in 3 patients. The decrease of renal vascular resistance and the increase of renal blood flow and of the renal fraction of cardiac output play a key role in the beneficial effect of ornipressin on renal failure. These changes develop by an increase in mean arterial pressure, the reduction of the sympathetic activity, and probably of an extenuation of the splanchnic vasodilation. A significant contribution of atrial natriuretic factor is less likely. The present findings implicate that treatment with ornipressin represents an alternative approach to the management of functional renal failure in advanced liver cirrhosis.

Treatment of ascites and renal failure in cirrhosis

Ascites is a frequent complication in patients with liver cirrhosis. The accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is associated with disturbances of systemic and splanchnic haemodynamics and of kidney function, which contribute to the poor prognosis of these patients. Classically, the treatment of ascites in patients with cirrhosis has been based on the combination of a sodium-restricted diet and the administration of diuretics. However, this treatment is not entirely satisfactory, since it is associated with a relatively high incidence of side-effects, and about 20% of patients hospitalized for the treatment of an episode of ascites do not respond to such therapy. In the last two decades, alternative therapies to diuretics have been introduced. PVS is an effective method of treating ascites. The high incidence of complications observed in early studies may be reduced by adequate perioperative management and careful selection of patients. The role of the PVS in the treatment of cirrhotics with ascites, however, still remains to be established. Recently, paracentesis has emerged as an alternative method of treating ascites in patients with cirrhosis. Several studies have shown that therapeutic paracentesis plus i.v. albumin infusion is more effective than conventional diuretic therapy and is associated with a lower incidence of complications. It has also been demonstrated that therapeutic paracentesis without the i.v. administration of albumin is associated with a marked increase in plasma renin activity, suggesting an impairment of effective blood volume, and with the development of hyponatraemia and/or renal failure in 20% of cases. Therefore, the i.v. administration of albumin is an essential measure in preventing the impairment of systemic haemodynamics and renal function that frequently follows the mobilization of ascites by paracentesis.