title: Critical care and cirrhosis: outcome and benefit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of cirrhosis is growing steadily and this cohort of patients will present in ever-greater numbers to critical care with acute decompensation, usually secondary to an inter-current event or following elective surgery. This review examines the evidence for treatment options and outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Outcome of cirrhotics presenting with end-organ dysfunction is steadily improving and their outcomes are not as poor as sometimes suggested. Treatment options for variceal bleeding and renal dysfunction are evolving and outcomes improving.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Critical care support should be offered to patients with cirrhosis and in high-risk variceal bleed patients transhepatic portosystemic shunt should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver Studies, Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK. julia.wendon@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wendon
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Willars
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Auzinger
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011170:Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical; D016896:Treatment Outcome