Skip to main content
Log in

Efficiency of respiratory assistance in cirrhotic patients with liver failure

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Intensive Care Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In a 25-month period, 100 cirrhotic patients, in our intensive care unit (ICU) needed endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. The overall mortality rate was 89%; the mortality rate was 100% among patients with septic shock and/or superimposed acute hepatitis and/or severe cirrhosis defined with clinical signs: jaundice and/or ascites and/or spontaneous hepatic encephalopathy and/or severe malnutrition. With these prognostic indices, using Bayes theorem, the probability of fatal evolution ranges from 95%–100% (α=5%). These results allow a group of patients with high cost and poor prognosis to be defined.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A report of critical care commitlee of the Massachusetts General Hospital (1976) Optimum care for hopelessly ill patients. N Engl J Med 295:362

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bayes T (1963) An essay towards solving a problem in the doctrine of chances. Phil Trans Roy Soc 53:370

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bell JA, Bradley RD, Jenkins BS, Spencer GT (1974) Six years of multidisciplinary intensive care. Br Med J 2:483

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Byrick RJ, Mindorff C, McKee L, Mudge B (1980) Cost-effecttiveness of intensive care for respiratory failure patients. Crit Care Med 8:332

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Cullen DT (1977) Results and costs of intensive care. Anesthesiology 47:203

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Cullen DJ, Ferrara LC, Briggs BA, Walker PF, Gilbert J (1976) Survival, hospitalization charges and follow-up results in critically ill patients. N Engl J Med 294:982

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Detsky AS, Stricker SC, Mulley AG, Thibault GE (1981) Prognosis, survival, and the expenditure of hospital resources for patients in an intensive care unit. N Engl J Med 305:667

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Lebrec D, Goldfarb G, Degott C, Rueff B, Benhamou JP (1982) Transvenous liver biopsy; an experience based on 1000 hepatic tissue samplings with this procedure. Gastroenterology 83:338

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Nunn JF, Milledge JS, Singaraya J (1979) Survival of patients ventilated in an intensive therapy unit. Br Med J 1:1525

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Prandi D, Rueff B, Roche-Sicot J, Sicot C, Maillard JN, Benhamou JP, Fauvert R (1976) Life-threatening hemorrhage of the digestive tract in cirrhotic patients. Am J Surg 131:204

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Rapin M, Gomez-Duque A, Le Gall Jr, Trunet P (1976) Les chances des survie de malades hospitalisés dans un service de réanimation. Nouv Press Med 5:1245

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ring-Larsen H, Clausen E, Ranek L (1973) Peritoneal dialysis in hyponatremia due to liver failure. Scand J Gastroent 8:33

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Rogers RM, Weiler C, Ruppenthal B (1972) Impact of the respiratory intensive care unit on survival of patients with acute respiratory failure. Chest 62:94

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Schroeder SA, Showstack JA, Roberts HE (1979) Frequency and clinical descriptions of high-cost patients in 17 acute-care hospitals. N Engl J Med 300:1306

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Schroeder SA, Showstack JA, Schwartz J (1981) Survival of adult high-cost patients. JAMA 245:1446

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Thibault GE, Mulley AG, Barnett GO, Goldstein RL, Reder VA, Sherman EL, Skinner ER (1980) Medical intensive care: indications, interventions, and outcomes. N Engl J Med 302:938

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Vecchio TJ (1966) Predictive value of a single diagnostic test in unselected populations. N Engl J Med 274:1171

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Ward ME, Trewby PN, Williams R, Strunin L (1977) Acute liver failure; experience in a special unit. Anaesthesia 32:228

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Wilkinson SP, Weston MJ, Parsons V, Williams R (1977) Dialysis in the treatment of renal failure in patient with liver disease. Clin Nephrol 8:287

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Zook CJ, Moore FD (1980) High-cost users of medical care. N Engl J Med 302:996

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Goldfarb, G., Nouel, O., Poynard, T. et al. Efficiency of respiratory assistance in cirrhotic patients with liver failure. Intensive Care Med 9, 271–273 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691253

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691253

Key words

Navigation