Bleeding and liver transplantation outcomes in haemophilia.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C is the major cause of end-stage liver disease and the major indication for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) in individuals with haemophilia.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the epidemiology and outcomes of OLTx in U.S. haemophilia patients.


METHODS
We investigated haemophilia liver transplant recipients between 1993 and 2012, using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, identified by ICD9 code 50.59.


RESULTS
Of the 11 267 (weighted n = 54 691) patients undergoing OLTx, 44 (0.4%; weighted n = 213) had haemophilia. Those with haemophilia were more likely than non-haemophilic OLTx recipients to have bleeding complications (45.3% vs. 31.5%, P = 0.009) and hypovolemic shock (7.0% vs. 1.1%, P < 0.0001). They also had a significantly higher incidence of HIV (24.8% vs. 0.5%, P < 0.005), hepatitis B (16.2% vs. 7.9%, P = 0.04) and vitamin K deficiency (2.1% vs. 0.02%, P < 0.001). In spite of these differences, there was no difference in in-hospital mortality between haemophilic and non-haemophilic recipients (6.8% vs. 6.2%, P = 0.9). In multivariate logistic regression, bleeding complications in haemophilia increased the risk of in-hospital mortality by more than 3-fold (P < 0.0001), and disseminated intravascular coagulation increased the risk of bleeding complications in haemophilic recipients by over 10-fold (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Bleeding complications are common in haemophilia OLTx recipients. Thus, aggressive correction of coagulation defects in this group may be a medically sound approach to reduce complications and mortality associated with OLTx.
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
K D
KD
Mehta
Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
M V
MV
Ragni
D005260:Female; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
bleeding complications; end-stage liver disease; factor replacement; haemophilia; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver transplantation