Comparison of the impact of chronic corticosteroid therapy on critical care outcomes of COVID-19 patients with and without history of chronic liver disease

AbstractThere is a paucity of studies investigating the impact of chronic corticosteroid use for coexisting conditions in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Additionally, the information regarding the impact of chronic liver disease (CLD) on COVID-19 outcomes is evolving. Our study aims to investigate hospitalization outcomes of patients with COVID-19 on long term corticosteroids for coexisting conditions while also seeking to compare outcomes between such patients with a history of CLD to analyze the impact on mortality. We conducted a retrospective chart review across our 10-hospital network identifying patients on chronic corticosteroids (Prednisone ≥ 5 mg daily dose or equivalent dose of another steroid, for a duration of 30 days or more) who were hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020. Of these patients who met inclusion criteria, patients were then divided into groups based upon their history of CLD. Primary outcomes of the study looked to investigate the hospitalization outcomes of patients with a history of CLD and comorbid conditions requiring chronic corticosteroid use. Secondary outcomes sought to further investigate risk factors for mortality in our study sample. 837 charts were reviewed. 139 patients met inclusion criteria of which 34 patients had a history of CLD. Statistical analysis demonstrated no difference in length of hospital stay but increased ICU admission rate in the CLD group (41.2% vs 23.8%). No statistically significant difference was seen in between the CLD and non-CLD groups in term of complication rates and 28-day mortality. However, chronic corticosteroids patients were found to have higher rates of ICU admission and overall 28-day and ICU mortality in comparison to patients who were not on chronic corticosteroids prior to COVID-19 hospitalization. The larger contributor to COVID-19 severity was likely chronic corticosteroid use rather than CLD and thus chronic corticosteroid use should be limited throughout the COVID-19 pandemic especially in patients with additional speculated risk factors for COVID-19 such as CLD.

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Impact of Liver Test Abnormalities and Chronic Liver Disease on the Clinical Outcomes of Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19

GE Portuguese Journal of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1159/000513593 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Mónica Garrido ◽

Tiago Pereira Guedes ◽

Joana Alves Silva ◽

Daniela Falcão ◽

Inês Novo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Disease ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Chronic Liver ◽

Icu Admission ◽

Liver Test ◽

Tertiary Center ◽

Glutamyl Transferase ◽

The Impact ◽

Liver Tests

Background and Aims: The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the liver and the possibility of chronic liver disease (CLD) as a risk factor for COVID-19 severity is not fully understood. Our goal was to describe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 inpatients regarding the presence of abnormal liver tests and CLD. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalized in a tertiary center in Portugal, was performed. Studied outcomes were disease and hospitalization length, COVID-19 severity, admission to intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality, analyzed by the presence of abnormal liver tests and CLD. Results: We included 317 inpatients with a mean age of 70.4 years, 50.5% males. COVID-19 severity was moderate to severe in 57.4% and critical in 12.9%. The mean disease length was 37.8 days, the median hospitalization duration 10.0 days and overall mortality 22.8%. At admission, 50.3% showed abnormal liver tests, and 41.5% showed elevated aminotransferase levels, from which 75.4% were mild. Elevated aminotransferase levels at admission were associated with COVID-19 severity (78.7 vs. 63.3%, p = 0.01), ICU admission (13.1 vs. 5.92%, p = 0.034) and increased mortality (25.8 vs. 13.3%, p = 0.007). However, in a subgroup analysis, only aspartate transaminase (AST) was associated with these worse outcomes. Alkaline phosphatase was elevated in 11.4% of the patients and was associated with critical COVID-19 (21.1 vs. 9.92%, p = 0.044) and mortality (20.4 vs. 9.52%, p = 0.025), while 24.6% of the patients showed elevated γ-glutamyl transferase, which was associated with ICU admission (42.3 vs. 22.8%, p = 0.028). Fourteen patients had baseline CLD (4.42%), 3 with liver cirrhosis. Alcohol (n = 6) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 6) were the most frequent etiologies. CLD patients had critical COVID-19 in 21.4% (p = 0.237), mean disease length of 36.6 days (p = 0.291), median hospitalization duration of 11.5 days (p = 0.447) and a mortality rate of 28.6% (p = 0.595), which increased to 66.7% among cirrhotic patients (p = 0.176). Conclusions: Liver test abnormalities in COVID-19 patients were frequent but most commonly mild. AST, but not alanine transaminase, was associated with worse clinical outcomes, such as COVID-19 severity and mortality, probably indicating these outcomes were independent of liver injury. A low prevalence of CLD was seen, and a clear impact on COVID-19 outcomes was not seen.

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Possible unrecognised liver injury is associated with mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients

Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology ◽

10.1177/17562848211023410 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 175628482110234

Author(s):

Mario Romero-Cristóbal ◽

Ana Clemente-Sánchez ◽

Patricia Piñeiro ◽

Jamil Cedeño ◽

Laura Rayón ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Disease ◽

Liver Fibrosis ◽

Liver Injury ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Critically Ill ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Chronic Liver ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

The Impact

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with acute respiratory distress syndrome is a life-threatening condition. A previous diagnosis of chronic liver disease is associated with poorer outcomes. Nevertheless, the impact of silent liver injury has not been investigated. We aimed to explore the association of pre-admission liver fibrosis indices with the prognosis of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Methods: The work presented was an observational study in 214 patients with COVID-19 consecutively admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Pre-admission liver fibrosis indices were calculated. In-hospital mortality and predictive factors were explored with Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. Results: The mean age was 59.58 (13.79) years; 16 patients (7.48%) had previously recognised chronic liver disease. Up to 78.84% of patients according to Forns, and 45.76% according to FIB-4, had more than minimal fibrosis. Fibrosis indices were higher in non-survivors [Forns: 6.04 (1.42) versus 4.99 (1.58), p < 0.001; FIB-4: 1.77 (1.17) versus 1.41 (0.91), p = 0.020)], but no differences were found in liver biochemistry parameters. Patients with any degree of fibrosis either by Forns or FIB-4 had a higher mortality, which increased according to the severity of fibrosis ( p < 0.05 for both indexes). Both Forns [HR 1.41 (1.11–1.81); p = 0.006] and FIB-4 [HR 1.31 (0.99–1.72); p = 0.051] were independently related to survival after adjusting for the Charlson comorbidity index, APACHE II, and ferritin. Conclusion: Unrecognised liver fibrosis, assessed by serological tests prior to admission, is independently associated with a higher risk of death in patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to the ICU.

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Health-related quality of life in chronic liver disease: the impact of type and severity of disease

The American Journal of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1111/j.1572-0241.2001.03956.x ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 96 (7) ◽

pp. 2199-2205 ◽

Cited By ~ 184

Author(s):

Zobair M Younossi ◽

Navdeep Boparai ◽

Lori Lyn Price ◽

Michelle L Kiwi ◽

Marilyn McCormick ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Liver Disease ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Chronic Liver ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Severity Of Disease ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

The Impact

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Alcohol and Nutrition as Risk Factors for Chronic Liver Disease

Nutrition and Alcohol ◽

10.1201/9780203507636.ch5 ◽

2003 ◽

pp. 73-85

Author(s):

Stefano Bellentani ◽

Claudio Tiribelli ◽

Giorgio Bedogni

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Liver Disease ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Chronic Liver

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Impact of Severity of Chronic Liver Disease on Health-Related Economics

Hepatitis Monthly ◽

10.5812/hepatmon.97933 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Fakhar Ali Qazi Arisar ◽

Muhammad Kamran ◽

Ramlah Nadeem ◽

Wasim Jafri

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Liver Disease ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Economic Status ◽

Treatment Compliance ◽

Chronic Liver ◽

Medical Expenses ◽

Severity Of Disease ◽

The Family ◽

The Impact

Background: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is accountable for a multifaceted disease encumbrance upsetting the psychological, physical, and economic health of not only the patients but also their caregivers. Objectives: The study purposes to cover the economic aspect of CLD to comprehend the financial burden imposed on the patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. The CLD patients presenting in gastroenterology clinics were recruited, and their socio-demographic, financial, and disease-related information including Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP) scores were collected. Out of 190 CLD patients enrolled, 127 (67.2%) were males. The mean age was 50.09 years. Variables assessed include self-perceived social/economic status, self-perception of disease responsibility for worsening of social/economic situation, the impact of the disease on economic status due to medical expense, the impact of economic status on treatment compliance due to medical expenses, impact of severity of disease on socioeconomic status and treatment compliance, and impact of gender on disease status and treatment compliance. Results: Regardless of the disease duration, CLD significantly impacted a patient’s life, as 81% and 69% of the patients blamed their disease responsible for the worsening of social and economic conditions, respectively. In our study, 85% of patients had consumed all savings during their course of illness, and 67% had to borrow money for medical expenses. Nearly half of the patients had to leave or cut short their medicines, skip the physician's appointment, or defer their children's education. One-third of patients had unpaid medical and utility bills or even skipped their meals. The severity of disease affected the socioeconomic status significantly (89% in CTP class C vs. 40% in CTP class A). Patients with worsening socioeconomic status had significantly higher MELD scores as compared to those with stable socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Chronic liver disease imposes incredible socioeconomic encumbrance on patients and the family unit, and CLD associated expenditures influence the family unit’s everyday working and therapeutic compliance, which is directly linked to the severity of disease expressed in terms of CTP and MELD scores.

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Role of antiviral therapy in the natural history of hepatitis B virus-related chronic liver disease

World Journal of Hepatology ◽

10.4254/wjh.v7.i8.1097 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. 1097 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Francesco Paolo Russo

Keyword(s):

Liver Disease ◽

Hepatitis B Virus ◽

Natural History ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Antiviral Therapy ◽

Chronic Liver ◽

B Virus ◽

History Of

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The morbidity and associated risk factors of cancer in chronic liver disease patients with diabetes mellitus: a multicenter field survey

Journal of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1007/s00535-014-0968-5 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 333-341 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Takumi Kawaguchi ◽

Motoyuki Kohjima ◽

Tatsuki Ichikawa ◽

Masataka Seike ◽

Yasushi Ide ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Liver Disease ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Field Survey ◽

Chronic Liver ◽

Patients With Diabetes ◽

Associated Risk Factors

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Liver Fibrosis is Associated with a Decrease in Gait Speed in Older Men with Chronic Liver Disease: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-819599/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kenichi Fudeyasu ◽

Takuo Nomura ◽

Toshihiro Kawae ◽

Daisuke Iwaki ◽

Yuki Nakashima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Disease ◽

Liver Fibrosis ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Motor Function ◽

Gait Speed ◽

Older Patients ◽

Knee Extension ◽

Chronic Liver ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Although it has already been reported that chronic liver disease (CLD) can induce sarcopenia, the impact of sarcopenia, especially on motor function, in older patients with CLD is still unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of liver fibrosis on motor function in these patients.Methods: In all, 117 older patients with CLD aged above 60 years (men, n=70; women, n=47) were included in this study. We examined the presence or absence of sarcopenia and checked motor functions such as muscle strength and walking speed. The results were compared between patients with FIB-4 index of >3.25, indicative of severe-degree liver fibrosis (SLF), and those with an index of <3.25, indicative of low-degree liver fibrosis (LLF). We also analyzed the factors related to the decrease in gait speed.Results: The decrease in gait speed (<1.0 m/s) was significantly higher (P = 0.027) and the knee extension force (KEF) was significantly lower (P = 0.010) in men with SLF than in those with LLF. In this study, liver fibrosis (odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.56–0.90) and KEF (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.02–1.16) were identified as factors associated with the decrease in gait speed.Conclusions: Older male patients with CLD have decreased motor function as the disease progresses. We found that the decrease in gait speed is related to liver fibrosis and KEF. It is necessary to focus on the motor function of older patients with CLD, especially the gait speed.

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