[Alcoholic hepatitis: bad prognosis due to concomitant bacterial infections].
Bacterial infections increase morbidity and mortality in cirrhosis. Our aim was to investigate whether in alcoholic hepatitis the development of bacterial infections was also a poor prognostic factor. In the retrospective evaluation of 681 hospitalized patients with liver disease, from a single center during a six-year period, 52 (7.5%) cases of alcoholic hepatitis were well documented, 73.1% by liver biopsy with histopathological analysis and the others by well characterized clinical-biochemical data. Males were predominant (ratio 3.3:1.0), mean age of 40 years and mean alcohol intake of 193 g/day. Major complications were: Hepatic encephalopathy (n=5), renal insufficiency (n=4) and digestive bleeding (n=3). Bacterial infections were found in 11 (21%) patients, distributed into: pulmonary (n=5), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (n=2), urinary (n=3) and dermatological (n=1). Early hospital death occurred in eight (15.4%) patients and comparative analysis between these and those who survived showed that poor prognostic factors were: presence of hepatic encephalopathy (p=0.012), total bilirubin > 20 mg% (p=0.012) and the presence of severe infections (pulmonary and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis) with statistical significance (p=0.004). In conclusion we have demonstrated that severe bacterial infections are poor prognostic factors for alcoholic hepatitis. Our recommendation, based on prophylaxis with antibiotics during digestive bleeding in cirrhosis and in acute hepatic insufficiency, is to extend this prophylaxis to alcoholic hepatitis, in its severe form, in order to prevent bacterial infections and early death.
Strauss
Edna
E
Clínica de Gastroenterologia do Hospital Heliópolis, São Paulo, SP. edna.strauss@hcnet.usp.br
Aerosa
José Pedro
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index