Cirrhosis/Liver Failure News

PHILADELPHIA — FibroScan screening for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis could significantly improve patient diagnosis and care, as data presented at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting showed that FibroScan found a significant number of undiagnosed cases.

PHILADELPHIA — The incidence of bleeding related to ultrasound-guided large volume paracentesis was rare in a cohort of high-risk patients with severe renal dysfunction and thrombocytopenia, according to results presented at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting.

PHILADELPHIA — Malnutrition as measured by subjective global assessment correlated significantly with decreased health-related quality of life in patients with cirrhosis, according to research presented at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting.

Liver stiffness measurements by magnetic resonance elastography and magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction demonstrated continued feasibility as biomarkers of liver fibrosis in a recently published study.

Hepatic encephalopathy is one possible outcome of chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis and results in forgetfulness, disorientation, and even movement problems. Grading hepatic encephalopathy is key to guiding care among these patients.

The MoCA-CFS composite score — developed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Clinical Frailty Scale — independently predicted hospital admissions for hepatic encephalopathy and impaired health-related quality of life among patients with cirrhosis, according to recently published data.

Dova Pharmaceuticals and Salix Pharmaceuticals entered into an exclusive agreement to promote Doptelet, according to a press release.

Details from a recently published review discussed expanded use of alcohol use disorder medications and treatments in everyday clinical practice for patients with advanced liver disease.

Results of an international systematic review showed that patients and their families had a poor understanding about advanced liver disease, felt they needed more information about treatments and how to get practical and psychological support, and were unaware of the potential for palliative care.

A recently developed liquid biopsy cell-sorting device was able to detect circulating epithelial cells of hepatocyte origin in blood from healthy individuals, patients with chronic liver disease without hepatocellular cancer, and those with HCC, according to a recently published study.