Journal
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
Volume 23, Issue 5, Pages 899-905Publisher
BAISHIDENG PUBLISHING GROUP INC
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i5.899
Keywords
Hospitalisation; Infection; Cirrhosis; Frailty; Transplantation
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Funding
- UCSF Liver Center [P30 DK026743]
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AIM To investigate the impact of physical frailty on risk of hospitalisation in cirrhotic patients on the liver transplant waitlist. METHODS Cirrhotics listed for liver transplantation at a single centre underwent frailty assessments using the Fried Frailty Index, consisting of grip strength, gait speed, exhaustion, weight loss, and physical activity. Clinical and biochemical data including MELD score as collected at the time of assessment. The primary outcome was number of hospitalised days per year; secondary outcomes included incidence of infection. Univariable and multivariable analysis was performed using negative binomial regression to associate baseline parameters including frailty with clinical outcomes and estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR). RESULTS Of 587 cirrhotics, 64% were male, median age (inter-quartile range) was 60 (53-64) years and MELD score was 15 (12-18). Median Fried Frailty Index was 2 (1-3); 31.6% were classified as frail (fried frailty >= 3). During 12 mo of follow-up, 43% required at least 1hospitalisation; 38% of which involved major infection. 107/ 184 (58%) frail and 142/ 399 (36%) non-frail patients were hospitalised at least once (p < 0.001). In univariable analysis, Fried Frailty Index was associated with total hospitalisation days per year (IRR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.28-1.77; p = 0.001), which remained significant on multivariable analysis after adjustment for MELD, albumin, and gender (IRR for frailty of 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02-1.44; p = 0.03). Incidence of infection was not influenced by frailty. CONCLUSION In cirrhotics on the liver transplant waitlist, physical frailty is a significant predictor of hospitalisation and total hospitalised days per year, independent of liver disease severity.
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