This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Liver disease increases mortality risk after hospitalization for peptic ulcer bleeding

Danish patients with chronic liver disease, especially those with liver cirrhosis, had an increased risk for mortality within 90 days after being hospitalized for peptic ulcer bleeding vs. patients without chronic liver disease, according to study data.

Researchers analyzed data from the Danish National Registry of Patients, the Danish National Health Service Prescription Registry and the Danish Civil Registration System to identify patients aged at least 15 years who were hospitalized with any diagnosis of peptic ulcer bleeding between 2004 and 2011. Researchers sought to determine any impact chronic liver disease could have on mortality after peptic ulcer bleeding occurred, according to the research.

“We conducted a nationwide cohort study to examine the prognostic impact of chronic liver disease and the influence of other comorbidities on 90-day mortality following peptic ulcer bleeding,” the researchers wrote.

A total of 21,359 patients hospitalized with peptic ulcer bleeding were identified through the databases. Of these, 3.1% (n = 653) had a previous diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and 2.2% (n = 474) had a history of chronic liver disease without cirrhosis. Overall, 90-day mortality was 18.4%.

Patients with chronic liver disease had a higher 90-day mortality rate compared with patients without chronic liver disease (23.3% vs. 18.1%). In addition, 90-day mortality was higher among patients with liver cirrhosis compared with patients with chronic liver disease, but not cirrhosis (25.3% vs. 20.7%). All patients with chronic liver disease were at an approximate twofold increase risk for mortality within 90 days of hospitalization for peptic ulcer bleeding compared with patients without chronic liver disease, after adjusting for potential confounders (adjusted mortality rate ratio = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.65–2.14).

“Our study revealed that cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic chronic liver disease are prognostic factors for death within 90 days after peptic ulcer bleeding,” the researchers concluded. “The high mortality rates associated with peptic ulcer bleeding in this study underscore the importance of primary prevention of peptic ulcers in patients with chronic liver disease.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.