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Liver cirrhosis in the medical critical care patient Full Text
Minerva Anestesiologica, 06/08/2012
Biancofiore G et al. – This class of patients may require admission to the ICU because of decompensation of their pre–existing liver disease or due to medical problems independent of cirrhosis as pneumonia, trauma or surgery. Either way, it is acknowledged that, when feasible, without definitive treatment by way of liver transplantation, cirrhosis is an independent predictor of poor outcome in critically ill patients. In fact, cerebral, cardiopulmonary and kidney dysfunctions as well as portal vein hypertension, ascites and gastrointestinal bleeding can make the course of these patients very complicated and may further affect their outcome.
