# Clinical Profile and Outcome of Patients Presenting With Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: A Single-Center Experience

## TL;DR

This study examines the causes and outcomes of acute-on-chronic liver failure, finding alcohol as the main trigger and identifying key factors that predict mortality.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the clinical profile and mortality predictors of acute-on-chronic liver failure patients in a single-center setting.

## Key findings

- Alcohol was the most common precipitating factor for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).
- The in-hospital mortality rate was 48.6% among ACLF patients.
- The SOFA score was found to be the most accurate predictor of mortality in ACLF patients.

## Abstract

Background and aim: We aimed to study the etiologies and clinical profile and to describe the factors associated with mortality in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients at our center.

Methods: Patients meeting the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) definition of ACLF were included. We studied etiologies and clinical profile and analyzed the factors associated with mortality in patients with ACLF. We also analyzed the mortality rates based on the number of organ failures and the grade of ACLF.

Results: 114 patients were included. Alcohol (82, 71.9%), drugs (22, 19.3%), and viral hepatitis (17, 14.9%) were the commonest precipitating factors of ACLF. The commonest cause of chronic disease was alcohol (83, 72.8%). Fifty-three (46.5%), 60 (52.6%), 44 (38.6%), 32 (28.1%), and 24 (21.1%) experienced renal, coagulation, cerebral, respiratory, and circulation failures, respectively. Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate stood at 54 (48.6%), with a median stay of eight days. Advanced hepatic encephalopathy and ventilator support independently predicted mortality. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score outperformed all other prognostic scores in predicting mortality in ACLF.

Conclusion: Alcohol was the most common precipitating factor for ACLF. The in-hospital mortality rate was 48.6%. Advanced hepatic encephalopathy and ventilator support independently predicted mortality. The SOFA score is a more accurate predictor of mortality in ACLF when compared to other prognostic scores.