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100 active trials for Liver Cirrhosis

Project to Improve Communication About Serious Illness--Hospital Study: Comparative Effectiveness Trial (Trial 2)

The objective of this protocol is to test the effectiveness of a Jumpstart intervention on patient-centered outcomes for patients with chronic illness by ensuring that they receive care that is concordant with their goals over time, and across settings and providers. This study is particularly interested in understanding the effect of the intervention to improve quality of palliative care for patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) but will also include other common chronic, life-limiting illnesses. The specific aims are: 1) To evaluate the effectiveness of a survey-based patient/clinician Jumpstart guide compared to an EHR-based clinician Jumpstart guide for improving quality of care; the primary outcome is documentation of a goals-of-care discussion during the hospitalization. Secondary outcomes include: intensity of care (ICU use, ICU and hospital length of stay, costs of care during the hospitalization, and 30-day hospital readmission); patient- and surrogate/family-reported outcomes assessed by survey at 1 and 3 months after randomization including occurrence and quality of goals-of-care communication in the hospital, goal concordant care, psychological symptoms, quality of life, and palliative care needs. 2) To conduct a mixed-methods evaluation of the implementation of the intervention, guided by the RE-AIM framework for implementation science, incorporating quantitative evaluation of the intervention's reach and adoption, as well as qualitative analyses of interviews with participants, to explore barriers and facilitators to future implementation and dissemination.

Start: July 2021
Stop of Proton-pump Inhibitor Treatment in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis - a Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) are commonly prescribed in an uncritical manner to patients with liver cirrhosis without a clear evidence-based indication. Observational studies suggests that PPI use in cirrhotic patients may be a risk factor for the development of infections, especially spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). A possible explanation are PPI-associated microbiotic shifts leading to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth with subsequently increased bacterial translocation. Furthermore, PPI therapy in cirrhotic patients may lead to an increased risk for pneumonia and Clostridium difficile-infections. However, the evidence is ambiguous, as other published studies found no evidence for an association of PPI use with an increased risk for SBP or pneumonia. Moreover, an association between episodes of hepatic encephalopathy and PPI use has been reported. Infections and hepatic encephalopathy may often lead to a hospitalization of cirrhotic patients and PPI use at discharge has also been associated to early re-hospitalization. While some studies found an association of PPI and increased mortality in cirrhotic patients, other studies could not observe this association. Thus, some of the current evidence suggests an unfavourable risk profile of PPIs in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, this patient population is considered to be at a high risk of gastrointestinal haemorrhage from peptic ulcers. Importantly, patients with liver cirrhosis have an increased mortality after peptic ulcer bleeding as compared to patients without cirrhosis. Therefore, generous PPI use may also have a yet unproven preventive effect against upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The STOPPIT trial is the first prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind trial investigating the effect of discontinuation of long-term PPI therapy on hospitalized patients with complicated liver cirrhosis with a pre-existing long-term PPI therapy. Importantly, patients with an evidence-based indication for PPI therapy are excluded from the trial. All study participants (n=476) stop their previous PPI treatment and are then randomized (1:1) to receive either placebo (intervention group) or esomeprazole 20mg/day (control group) for 360 days. The primary hypothesis anticipates a delay of re-hospitalisation and/or death (composite endpoint) in patients who discontinue PPI treatment as compared to patients who continue PPI therapy. Secondary objectives include the assessment of mortality, re-hospitalisation rates, infection rates, rate of acute hepatic decompensation and ACLF, as well as rates of upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding events in both groups. Impact of prolonged or discontinued PPI therapy on the intestinal microbiota and pharmacoeconomics will be studied as a secondary assessment.

Start: April 2021
Intraoperative Phlebotomies and Bleeding in Liver Transplantation

Liver transplantation are surgeries associated with important bleeding and often require perioperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. Overall, between 20 and 85 % of liver transplant recipients receive at least one RBC transfusion during their surgery. Such transfusions are consistently associated with higher morbidity and mortality, although this causal association is still under debate in many surgical populations. Despite the lack of clear causative association between perioperative transfusions and worse outcomes, minimizing bleeding and transfusions is believed to improve postoperative outcomes. Many perioperative variables are associated with higher blood loss and need for perioperative transfusions: liver disease severity, preoperative anemia and coagulopathy, higher cardiac filling pressures and higher fluid administration, among others. However, few perioperative interventions have been shown to reduce bleeding and transfusion requirements in this population. Among them, the use of intraoperative phlebotomies to reduce portal and hepatic venous pressure during the dissection phase is a promising one, also described in liver resection surgery. To further investigate the effects of intraoperative phlebotomies on intraoperative bleeding, perioperative transfusions and mortality, the Principal Investigator will conduct a retrospective cohort study with a propensity score based causal analysis.

Start: March 2021
Dual Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion in Liver Transplantation Using Allografts From Donors After Brain Death

This will be a randomized study on the effects of hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion in patients undergoing liver transplantations from donors after brain death with allocation of patients to either end-ischemic hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion group (at least 2 hours of allograft perfusion at 12 degrees Celsius though hepatic artery and portal vein prior to implantation) or simple cold storage group in a 1:3 ratio. The primary outcome measure of the study will be model for early graft dysfunction (MEAF) score. A total number of 104 patients, including 26 in the hypothermic perfusion group and 78 in simple cold storage group will be included. Data on potential risk factors for worse allograft function and increased ischemia-reperfusion injury will be collected perioperatively. Circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-10, TNF?), nuclear damage (HMGB-1, 8-OHdG), serum activity of transaminases, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, bilirubin concentration, and INR will be assessed in the perioperative period. Wedge allograft biopsies will be performed 90 minutes post-reperfusion to evaluate activation of innate immunity (TLR4), activation of endothelium (vWF, P-selectin), hepatocyte necrosis, hepatocyte apoptosis (TUNEL assay), ATP content, and oxidative damage (malondialdehyde content). Further, wedge biopsies will be performed at the end of simple cold storage and at the beginning and after two hours of perfusion to determine steatosis and ATP content. During the perfusion, perfusate samples will be periodically tested for lactate, sodium, and potassium concentration, CO2 partiall pressure, and flavin mononucleotide concentration. Patients will be closely monitored in the postoperative period for allograft function and secondary end-points: 2-year recipient and graft survival, 2-year incidence of biliary complications, and 90-day complication rate. Both groups will be compared with respect to the primary and secondary end-points, circulating levels of IL-2, IL-10, TNF?, HMGB-1, 8-OHdG, activity of transaminases and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, and findings in post-reperfusion allograft biopsies. Further, changes of hepatic steatosis and hepatic ATP content during perfusion will be evaluated, and the results of perfusate analyses will be tested as predictors of allograft function in the post-transplant period.

Start: April 2021
Efficacy and Safety of EUS-guided Coil Combined With Endoscopic Cyanoacrylate Injection Versus BRTO in Patients With Spontaneous Portosystemic Shunt

This study is a retrospective, multi-center and observational clinical study. Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, The fifth medical center of PLA General Hospital, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital affiliated Nanjing University Medical School and Xiangyang Central Hospital will participate in the study. Investigators would like to provide evidence-based medical evidence by evaluating and comparing the efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided coil embolization combined with endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) in the treatment of gastric varices (GV) with spontaneous portosystemic shunt (SPSS). Between January 2014 and December 2020, patients with GV secondary to portal hypertension admitted to a tertiary medical center, are enrolled consecutively according to the following criteria: (1) age?18 years; (2)endoscopic examination confirms the presence of GV; (3) CTA of the portal system and EUS revealed the presence of SPSS, the diameter was between 5 mm to 15 mm; (4) treatment with EUS-guided coil combined with endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection or BRTO. Exclusion criteria are as follows: (1)malignant tumors; (2) hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome or multiple organ failure; (3) previously received esophagus or stomach surgery; (4) pregnant. Investigators will collect patients' data of baseline character, treatment, postoperative and follow-up. All patients will be followed up until the progress of the disease or the end of the study. And rebleeding, ectopic embolism, survival, and sequential treatment will be recorded during the follow-up period. The primary endpoint are five-day rebleeding rate and six-week mortality rate. The secondary endpoint are: technical success rate, incidence of ectopic embolism, eradication of GV, one-year rebleeding rate, rescue treatment, cost-effectiveness ratio and sequential treatment. All data and information use SPSS statistical software to complete all statistical analysis.

Start: April 2021