Risk factors associated with complications in cirrhotic patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography

Applicability of Child-Turcotte-Pugh Score in Anticipating Post-ERCP Adverse Events in Patients With Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Limited objective data exist on the comparison of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) complications in patients with cirrhosis based on the severity of the disease. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score system in anticipating the risk of post-ERCP complications in patients with cirrhosis. The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception through September 2022 to identify studies comparing post-ERCP complications in patients with cirrhosis based on CTP score. Odds ratios (ORs) and their associated 95% CIs were pooled using a random-effect model to calculate effect size. The reference group for analysis was the CTP class C patient group. Seven studies comprising 821 patients who underwent 1068 ERCP procedures were included. The CTP class C patient population exhibited a higher risk of overall post-ERCP adverse events compared with those with class A or B (OR: 2.87, 95% CI: 1.77-4.65, P = 0.00 and OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.17-3.51, P = 0.01, respectively). Moreover, CTP class B patients had a significantly higher complication rate than CTP class A patients (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.04-2.53, P = 0.03). However, no statistically significant differences were found in the occurrence of specific types of complications, including bleeding, pancreatitis, cholangitis, perforation, or mortality across the three CTP groups. We demonstrated that the CTP classification system is a reliable predictor of ERCP complications in patients with cirrhosis. Consequently, caution should be exercised when performing ERCP in patients classified as CTP class C.

Safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in cirrhosis compared to non-cirrhosis and effect of Child-Pugh score on post-ERCP complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in hepatic cirrhosis and the impact of Child-Pugh class on post-ERCP complications need to be better studied. We investigated the post-ERCP complication rates in patients with cirrhosis compared with those without cirrhosis.

METHODS

We conducted a literature search of relevant databases to identify studies that reported post-ERCP complications in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies comprising 28,201 patients were included. The pooled incidence of post-ERCP complications in cirrhosis was 15.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.8%-19.2%; I2=96.2%), with an individual pooled incidence of pancreatitis 5.1% (95% CI, 3.1%-7.2%; I2=91.5%), bleeding 3.6% (95% CI, 2.8%-4.5%; I2=67.5%), cholangitis 2.9% (95% CI, 1.9%-3.8%; I2=83.4%), and perforation 0.3% (95% CI, 0.1%-0.5%; I2=3.7%). Patients with cirrhosis had a greater risk of post-ERCP complications (risk ratio [RR], 1.41; 95% CI, 1.16-1.71; I2=56.3%). The risk of individual odds of adverse events between cirrhosis and non-cirrhosis was as follows: pancreatitis (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06-1.48; I2=24.8%), bleeding (RR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.59-2.37; I2=0%), cholangitis (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.77-1.70; I2=12%), and perforation (RR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.59-2.43; I2=0%).

CONCLUSION

Cirrhosis is associated with an increased risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis, bleeding, and cholangitis.

Incidence and Cross-Continents Differences in Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Outcomes Among Patients With Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

There are conflicting data on the frequency and variability of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) outcomes in patients with cirrhosis. Our aim was to systematically review the literature on the incidence of post-ERCP adverse events in cirrhotic patients and to examine the differences across continents.

Methods

We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases to identify studies reporting adverse events after ERCP in patients with cirrhosis from conception to September 30, 2022. The random effects model was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs), mean differences (MDs), and confidence intervals (CIs). A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane Q-statistic (I²).

Results

Twenty-one studies that included 2,576 cirrhotic patients and 3,729 individual ERCPs were analyzed. The pooled overall rate of adverse events after ERCP in patients with cirrhosis was 16.98% (95% CI: 13.06-21.29%, P < 0.001, I² = 86.55%). ERCPs performed in Asia had the highest ERCP adverse events with an overall complication rate of 19.90%, while the lowest overall adverse events were in North America at 13.04%. The pooled post-ERCP bleeding, pancreatitis, cholangitis and perforation were 5.10% (95% CI: 3.33-7.19%, P < 0.001, I² = 76.79%), 3.21% (95% CI: 2.20-5.36%, P = 0.03, I² = 42.25%), 3.02% (95% CI: 1.19-5.52%, P < 0.001, I² = 87.11%), and 0.12% (95% CI: 0.00 - 0.45, P = 0.26, I² = 15.76%), respectively. The pooled post-ERCP mortality rate was 0.22% (95% CI: 0.00-0.85%, P = 0.01, I² = 51.86%).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis shows that the overall complication rates after ERCP, bleeding, pancreatitis, and cholangitis are high in patients with cirrhosis. Because cirrhotic patients are more likely to have post-ERCP complications, with significant cross-continent variations, the risks and benefits of ERCP in this patient population should be carefully considered.

Safety and Efficacy of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography in Patients of Liver Cirrhosis: A Case-Control Study

Background With the improvement in noninvasive diagnostic imaging modalities, Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP) has evolved into a primarily therapeutic procedure. Besides being efficacious and one of the most commonly done procedures, ERCP is also associated with a high risk of complications. However, there is a lack of studies analyzing the safety and success of ERCP in patients with liver cirrhosis. We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of ERCP in patients with cirrhosis of the liver compared to non-cirrhotic patients using the database from our institute. Methods Patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent ERCP from January 2010 to March 2020 were analyzed. This was a matched case-control study in which one cirrhotic patient undergoing ERCP was age and gender-matched randomly to one non-cirrhotic patient. We compared adverse events and the success rate of ERCP between cirrhotic patients and non-cirrhotic patients. The primary outcome of the study was analyzing the prevalence of procedure-related adverse events and their independent risk factors in patients of cirrhosis compared to the non-cirrhotic population. Results Two hundred patients were analyzed in both groups. Choledocholithiasis was the most common reason for ERCP in both groups. Mean Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score in the cirrhosis group were 9.16 ±1.78 and 19.09 ±7.06 respectively. Patients in the cirrhosis group had a significantly higher frequency of complications compared to the controls: 41 (20.5 %) versus 15 (7.5%), p < 0.01. Bleeding was the most common adverse event in both groups: 19 (9.5%) vs 6(3%). High International Normalised Ratio (INR), low platelets, and cholangitis at presentation were independently predictive of post-ERCP complications. Despite a similar technical success rate, the clinical success rate was lower in the cirrhotic than in the noncirrhotic group (83.9% versus 97.9%, p=0.006). Conclusion The prevalence of complications following ERCP was nearly three-fold higher in patients with cirrhosis than in non-cirrhotic patients. These events were related primarily to cholangitis, coagulopathy, and the advanced status of chronic liver disease.

Analysis of risk factors associated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for patients with liver cirrhosis: a multicenter, retrospective, clinical study

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the endoscopic modality of choice for the treatment of biliary and pancreatic diseases. However, patients with cirrhosis, particularly those with decompensated cirrhosis, are believed to be at increased risk for complications associated with ERCP. There is a paucity of literature describing the outcomes of ERCP for patients with cirrhosis. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of ERCP for cirrhosis patients, especially adverse events, and evaluated its safety and efficacy.

METHODS

We performed a multicenter, retrospective study of all patients at Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, Xijing Hospital affiliated to Air Force Military Medical University, Beijing Youan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, and the Fifth Medical Center of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital from June 2003 to August 2019. The adverse events of inpatient ERCP for patients with ( n  = 182) and without liver cirrhosis (controls; n  = 385) were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 567 patients underwent ERCP between January 2003 and December 2019 were enrolled in this study. Compared to patients without cirrhosis, patients with cirrhosis were at higher risk for postoperative complications (odds ratio [OR], 4.172; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.232-7.031; P  < 0.001) such as postoperative pancreatitis (OR, 2.026; 95% CI, 1.002-4.378; P  = 0.001) and cholangitis (OR, 3.903; 95% CI, 1.001-10.038; P  = 0.036). The main indications for ERCP for patients with cirrhosis in this study included choledocholithiasis (101 cases; 55.5%), benign bile duct strictures (46 cases; 25.3%), and malignant bile duct strictures (28 cases; 15.4%). Among them, 23 patients (12.6%) underwent balloon dilation and 79 patients (43.4%) underwent sphincterotomy. Of the patients with cirrhosis, delayed bleeding occurred in ten patients (5.5%), postoperative pancreatitis occurred in 80 patients (44.0%), and postoperative cholangitis occurred in 25 patients (13.7%). An additional multivariate analysis showed that the total bilirubin (TBIL) level (OR, 4.58; 95% CI, 2.37-6.70) and Child-Pugh score of C (OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.04-5.37) were risk factors for postoperative complications in patients with cirrhosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the general population of patients undergoing ERCP, patients with cirrhosis were more prone to postoperative pancreatitis and cholangitis. TBIL levels and Child-Pugh scores were risk factors for postoperative complications in patients with cirrhosis.

The risk of variceal bleeding during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a widely performed procedure. However, the risk of variceal bleeding during ERCP has rarely been assessed. This study aims to evaluate the risk of variceal bleeding in patients with esophageal varices (EV) undergoing ERCP.

METHODS

From October 2010 to November 2017, the study retrospectively enrolled 75 cirrhotic patients who received elective ERCP. The patient's risk of gastrointestinal (GI) and variceal bleeding and other procedure-related adverse events within 30 days of ERCP were evaluated.

RESULTS

Among the 75 patients, 45 patients (60.0%) had EV. Most of the patients were males (65.3%), and there were high rates of viral hepatitis B-related cirrhosis (36.0%), Child-Pugh B (49.3%), and an indication of choledocholithiasis (40.0%). Thirty-three of 45 (73.3%) patients had high-risk EV, and nine (20.0%) patients had concomitant gastric varices. There was no esophageal variceal bleeding; however, one patient had gastric variceal bleeding after ERCP. Nonvariceal significant GI bleeding occurred in three patients with EV and one without EV ( p = 0.529). Post-ERCP pancreatitis occurred in three patients with EV and five without EV ( p = 0.169). No perforation or procedure-associated mortality was noted.

CONCLUSION

The risk of esophageal variceal bleeding within 30 days of ERCP is neglectable, except for a patient who suffered from gastric variceal bleeding. Other complications, such as nonvariceal bleeding and pancreatitis, are also no higher in patients with EV. Therefore, ERCP is generally a safe procedure for a patient with high-risk esophageal varices.

Safety and efficacy of common endoscopic treatments in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis

INTRODUCTION

The safety and efficacy have always been a concern, when patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC) receive endoscopic treatments.

METHODS

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of common endoscopic treatments including endoscopic resection (ER) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) applying to patients with DLC, we performed a retrospective study finally including 81 patients receiving ER (43 endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and 38 endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)) and 131 patients treated by ERCP.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the rate of degeneration and invariability of Child-Pugh (CP) class and the overall rate of adverse events between two groups (93.8%/8.6% ER vs. 96.2%/15.3% ERCP). Both the degeneration rate of CP class (35.4%) and the rate of adverse events (27.1%) in subgroup CP class C of ERCP group were significantly higher (P=0). The rate of poor outcomes was higher in ERCP group (12.2%) than that in ER group (2.5%) (P=0.02). And subgroup CP class C of ERCP group had a higher poor outcome rate (27.1%) (P=0).

CONCLUSION

ER and ERCP could remove focal lesions or relieve symptoms induced by targeted diseases without significant changes of CP class. Significant benefits and risks coexisted in CP class C patients with DLC when receiving ERCP.

Percutaneous Transhepatic Papillary Balloon Dilation versus Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography for Common Bile Duct Stones: A Multicenter Prospective Study

Background Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is recommended by major guidelines for the removal of common bile duct (CBD) stones but is technically challenging in patients with low cardiopulmonary reserve and anatomic abnormalities of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Purpose To compare percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation (PTPBD) with ERCP for CBD stone removal. Materials and Methods Participants with one to three CBD stones (largest stone ≤30 mm) and without intrahepatic bile duct or gallbladder stones were eligible for this prospective cohort study. PTPBD was recommended in participants with low cardiopulmonary reserve or definitive anatomic abnormalities of the upper GI tract. Otherwise, both procedures were offered without preference. Follow-up, including abdominal CT, was conducted at 1-week and 1-, 3- and 6-month follow-up, and every 6 months thereafter. US and MR cholangiopancreatography were conducted if recurrence could not be confirmed with CT. Technical success rate was the primary outcome. Results A total of 531 participants were analyzed: there were 360 undergoing PTPBD (median age, 76 years; interquartile range [IQR], 64-82 years; 163 men) and 171 undergoing ERCP (median age, 66 years; IQR, 57-74 years; 94 men). The technical success rate was 99% (355 of 360) in the PTPBD group and 98% (167 of 171) in the ERCP group (relative risk, 1.02; P = .12). The incidence of overall complications was 4% (13 of 360) for PTPBD and 8% (13 of 171) for ERCP (relative risk, 0.27; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.61; P < .001). The PTPBD group showed a longer fluoroscopy time and a higher radiation exposure, with adjusted differences of 28.7 minutes (95% CI: 22.2, 35.2) and 384.3 mGy (95% CI: 296.5, 472), respectively. A propensity score-matching analysis (n = 123 per group) indicated that PTPBD had a slightly higher technical success rate and significantly fewer complications. Conclusion When compared with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation has a similar technical success rate and fewer perioperative complications but a higher radiation exposure. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by van Sonnenberg and Mueller in this issue.

Retrospective analysis of complications related to endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography in patients with cirrhosis vs patients without cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

There is minimal objective data regarding adverse events related to endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) in patients with cirrhosis compared to those without cirrhosis and even fewer data comparing complications among cirrhosis patients based on severity of cirrhosis.

AIM

To determine if patients with cirrhosis are at increased risk of adverse events related to ERCP: mainly pancreatitis, bleeding, perforation, cholangitis, and mortality; And to see if higher Child-Pugh (CP) score and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score are associated with higher post-ERCP complications.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of 692 patients who underwent ERCP and analyzed the impact of cirrhosis etiology, gender, type of sedation used during procedure, interventions performed, and co-morbidities on the rate of complications in cirrhosis patients as compared to non-cirrhosis patients.

RESULTS

Overall complications were higher in those with cirrhosis as compared to those without cirrhosis (P = 0.015 at significance level of 0.05). CP class, especially CP class C, was shown to be associated with a significantly higher rate of ERCP complications as compared to CP class A and CP class B (P = 0.010 at significance level of 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The results of our study reaffirm that liver cirrhosis has an impact on the occurrence of complications during ERCP. Our study shows that CP class seems to be more reliable as compared to MELD score in predicting complications of ERCP in cirrhosis patients.

Efficacy and safety of ERCP in patients with gastroesophageal varices

Addressing pancreaticobiliary disorders concomitant with gastroesophageal varices remains challenging. The goal of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients with gastroesophageal varices.We retrospectively analyzed the data of consecutive patients with gastroesophageal varices who underwent ERCP.Two hundred seventy ERCP procedures were performed on 208 patients. The overall technical success rate was 98.5%, and no difference was found between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients (98.7% vs 97.7%, P = .511); of these, endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage, endoscopic metal biliary endoprosthesis placement, endoscopic retrograde pancreatic drainage, and stone extraction were conducted in 173/270 (64.1%), 27/270 (10.0%), 26/270 (9.6%), and 116/270 (43.0%) cases, respectively. Endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage and stone extraction were more frequently performed in cirrhotic cases (67.7% versus 45.5%, P = .005; 46.5% versus 25.0%, P = .009, respectively), while the noncirrhotic group had significantly higher rates of endoscopic metal biliary endoprosthesis placement (31.8% versus 5.8%, P = .000) and endoscopic retrograde pancreatic drainage (18.2% versus 8.0%, P = .036) than the cirrhotic group. The overall rate of adverse events was 21.1%, including fever (6.7%), post-ERCP pancreatitis ( 3.0%), hyperamylasemia (6.3%), duodenal papilla bleeding (3.3%), cardiac mucosal laceration (1.1%), and perforation (0.4%). No differences in any of the adverse events were found between the 2 groups. Additionally, gastroesophageal variceal bleeding occurred in 1 patient with grade III varices 7 days after ERCP.ERCP may be effective and safe for patients with gastroesophageal varices, irrespective of the etiologies caused by liver cirrhosis.

Adverse Events and Acute Chronic Liver Failure in Patients With Cirrhosis Undergoing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Multicenter Matched-Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Data on the outcome of adverse events (AEs) and the risk of developing acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) after ERCP in patients with cirrhosis are unknown. We examined the incidence and risk factors of post-ERCP AEs in patients with cirrhosis and the appearance of ACLF after ERCP.

METHODS

In this multicenter, retrospective, matched-cohort study, we evaluated ERCPs performed from January 2002 to 2015. A group of patients with cirrhosis with non-ERCP interventions and one without interventions was also analyzed for the development of ACLF.

RESULTS

A total of 441 ERCPs were analyzed; 158 in patients with cirrhosis (cases) and 283 in patients without cirrhosis (controls). The overall rate of AEs after all ERCPs was significantly higher in cases compared to controls (17% vs 9.5, p = 0.02). Cholangitis developed more in cases compared to controls (6.3% vs 1.8%; p = 0.01). In a subanalysis of those with sphincterotomy, the rate of bleeding was higher in those with cirrhosis (9.4% vs 3.4%; p = 0.03). Logistic regression identified cirrhosis (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.36-4.53; p = 0.003) and sphincterotomy (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.23-5.72; p = 0.01) as risk factors of AEs. A total of 18/158 (11.4%) cases developed ACLF after ERCP. ACLF occurred in 7/27 cases with post-ERCP AEs and in 11/131 without post-ERCP AEs (25.9% vs 8.3%; p = 0.01). A total of 3.2% (13/406) patients without interventions developed ACLF compared to 17.5% (102/580) who developed ACLF after non-ERCP interventions. Patients with decompensated cirrhosis at ERCP had a higher risk of developing ACLF (17% vs 6.8%; p = 0.04). Patients with a MELD score ≥ 15 were 3.1 times more likely (95% CI: 1.14-8.6; p = 0.027) to develop ACLF after ERCP.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of AEs after ERCP is higher in patients with cirrhosis compared to the non-cirrhotic population. The incidence of ACLF is higher in those with AEs after ERCP compared to those without AEs, especially cholangitis. The development of ACLF is common after ERCP and other invasive procedures. ACLF can be precipitated by numerous factors which include preceding events before the procedure, including manipulation of the bile duct, and AEs after an ERCP.