Phosphatidylethanol as a prognostic indicator in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis

Abstract

Purpose. To assess the risk of readmission and death in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis who continue to drink alcohol based on the phosphatidylethanol level. Materials and methods: A study involved 112 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. On the first day of hospitalization, patients underwent a clinical examination, general and biochemical blood analysis, coagulation profile, blood sampling was performed to determine the level of phosphatidylethanol and assessment of the severity of liver cirrhosis on the Child-Pugh scale. A year after the date of hospitalization, a survey was conducted among patients to identify the presence of repeated hospitalizations or a fatal outcome, depending on the results of which patients were divided into groups with favorable and unfavorable course of liver cirrhosis. A ROC analysis of the relationship between the level of phosphatidylethanol and the course of liver cirrhosis was performed. Result: A total of 112 men were included in the study, with an average age of 50.5 years. Of these, 74 patients had a favorable course of liver cirrhosis and 38 unfavorable (36 had readmissions, 18 had a fatal outcome). The average level of phosphatidylethanol was higher in patients with fatal outcome and readmissions compared with patients with a favorable course of liver cirrhosis. In patients who continue to drink alcohol, the risk of readmissions and death during the year increases by almost 5 (p= 0.0005) and 4 (p= 0.04) times, respectively. Conclusion: In patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol abuse according to the results of the phosphatidylethanol test is associated with a higher risk of repeated hospitalizations and death within 1 year.