Incidence of hospitalization for infection among patients with hepatitis B or C virus infection without cirrhosis in Taiwan: A cohort study

Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Hospital-Related Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Background

People living with hepatitis C infection (HCV) have a significant impact on the global healthcare system, with high rates of inpatient service use. Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have the potential to alleviate this burden; however, the evidence on the impact of HCV infection and hospital outcomes is undetermined. This systematic review aims to assess this research gap, including how DAAs may modify the relationship between HCV infection and hospital-related outcomes.

Methods

We searched five databases up to August 2022 to identify relevant studies evaluating the impact of HCV infection on hospital-related outcomes. We created an electronic database of potentially eligible articles, removed duplicates, and then independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles.

Results

A total of 57 studies were included. Analysis of the included studies found an association between HCV infection and increased number of hospitalizations, length of stay, and readmissions. There was less consistent evidence of a relationship between HCV and in-hospital mortality. Only four studies examined the impact of DAAs, which showed that DAAs were associated with a reduction in hospitalizations and mortality. In the 14 studies available among people living with HIV, HCV coinfection similarly increased hospitalization, but there was less evidence for the other hospital-related outcomes.

Conclusions

There is good to high-quality evidence that HCV negatively impacts hospital-related outcomes, primarily through increased hospitalizations, length of stay, and readmissions. Given the paucity of studies on the effect of DAAs on hospital outcomes, future research is needed to understand their impact on hospital-related outcomes.

Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Prior to Posterior Lumbar Fusion: No Difference in Medical Outcomes or Reoperation

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze and confirm the rates of postoperative complications of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) undergoing primary posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) and assess whether treatment of HCV before surgery reduces complications.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

HCV causes chronic disease, leading to increased risk of cirrhosis and chronic illness. Currently, there is a lack of research regarding whether the patient's HCV is a modifiable risk factor for postoperative complications after spinal procedures.

METHODS

The Mariner database was utilized to find patients from 2010 to 2018 undergoing PLF with active follow-up for a year. Cases involving same-day revision procedures and patients with a history of spine, infection, trauma, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B, or neoplasm were excluded. Patients with a history of HCV diagnosis were identified and further stratified whether they had prior treatment using the national drug codes for antiviral, interferons, or ribavirin. Patients with HCV were matched with those without respect to age, sex, and comorbidity of burden. Outcome measured included 90-day medical complications, infection, readmission, and 1-year reoperation.

RESULTS

There were 2,129 patients with HCV and 10,544 patients in the matched control group who underwent primary PLF. Out of the 2,129 patients, 469 (22.0.%) were treated with HCV medications before surgery. Patients with prior history of HCV had a significantly increased risk of wound complications (4.4% vs. 3.2%, odds ratio 1.56, 95% confidence interval 1.24-1.96, P=0.009), and infection (7.7% vs. 5.7%, odds ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval 1.07-1.53, P=0.009) within 90 days of surgery. Patients treated before surgery did not have a difference in major (P=0.205) or minor medical complications (P=0.681) after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with prior history of HCV are at increased risk for many complications after surgery; however, this risk factor does not seem to be modifiable as the treatment group did not experience any improvement in postoperative outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Human Papillomavirus Infection Is Associated with Decreased Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients: Taiwan Nationwide Matched Cohort Study

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been shown to be associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancers. However, studies regarding HPV infection and the risk of new-onset hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients are limited. We examined the risk of HCC in CHC patients with or without HPV infection. Methods: In total, 9905 CHC patients from 2000 to 2016 constituted the whole cohort. HPV was defined as being diagnosed after HCV. The CHC cohort with HPV (N = 1981) and age-, sex-, inception point-, comorbidity-, and medication-matched non-HPV (N = 7924) were followed up until HCC, death, or 2018. HCC patients were extracted from the Taiwan Registry for Catastrophic Illness Database. We adopted the propensity score match and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to eliminate bias. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to calculate HCC risk. Results: After a full adjustment, HPV was not associated with HCC risk (aHR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.58−0.96 in the main model, and aHR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66−0.87 in IPTW, respectively). Almost all subgroup analyses verified this finding (HRs < 1.0). Conclusions: Among CHC patients older than 18 years old, those with HPV infection were associated with a lower risk of subsequent HCC.

Patients' Experiences of Life Challenges After Liver Transplantation: A Qualitative Study

Patients experience a new life with different challenges after liver transplantation (LT). Identifying these challenges can facilitate the improvement of their quality of life. This study aimed to explore patients’ experiences of post-LT life challenges. This qualitative study was performed in 2019 through the content analysis approach. Participants were liver transplant recipients purposively recruited from a LT clinic. Semistructured interviews were conducted for data collection. Data were analyzed through Graneheim and Lundman’s conventional content analysis approach. Meaning units were identified and coded, and the codes were grouped into subcategories and categories according to their similarities. In total, 18 transplant recipients were interviewed. Their age mean was 51 years and their transplant age ranged from 4 months to 12 years. Their post-LT life challenges were categorized into 4 main categories, that is, self-care deficit, the need for seeking information, fears and concerns, and hope–despair duality. Nurses and members of LT team are recommended to assess transplant recipients’ life challenges and develop comprehensive plans for managing their challenges and problems and improving their quality of life.

Alcohol-associated liver disease: A review on its pathophysiology, diagnosis and drug therapy

One of the global burdens of health care is an alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and liver-related death which is caused due to acute or chronic consumption of alcohol. Chronic consumption of alcohol damage the normal defense mechanism of the liver and likely to disturb the gut barrier system, mucosal immune cells, which leads to decreased nutrient absorption. Therapy of ALD depends upon the spectrum of liver injury that causes fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. The foundation of therapy starts with abstinence from alcohol. Corticosteroids are used for the treatment of ALD but due to poor acceptance, continuing mortality, and identification of tumor necrosis factor-alpha as an integral component in pathogenesis, recent studies focus on pentoxifylline and, antitumor necrosis factor antibody to neutralize cytokines in the therapy of severe alcoholic hepatitis. Antioxidants also play a significant role in the treatment but till today there is no universally accepted therapy available for any stage of ALD. The treatment aspects need to restore the gut functions and require nutrient-based treatments to regulate the functions of the gut system and prevent liver injury. The vital action of saturated fatty acids greatly controls the gut barrier. Overall, this review mainly focuses on the mechanism of alcohol-induced metabolic dysfunction, contribution to liver pathogenesis, the effect of pregnancy, and targeted therapy of ALD.

The Association Between Body Mass Index and the Risk of Hospitalization and Mortality due to Infection: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background

We aim to determine whether obesity increases the risk of various infections using a large prospective population-based cohort.

Methods

A total of 120 864 adults were recruited from the New Taipei City health screening program from 2005 to 2008. Statistics for hospitalization and mortality due to infection were obtained from the National Health Insurance Database and the National Death Registry in Taiwan.

Results

During a mean follow-up period of 7.61 years, there were 438, 7582, 5298, and 1480 first hospitalizations due to infection in the underweight, normal, overweight, and obese groups, respectively. Obesity significantly increases the risk of hospitalization for intra-abdominal infections (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.00–1.40), including diverticulitis, liver abscess, acute cholecystitis and anal and rectal abscess, reproductive and urinary tract infection (aHR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.26–1.50), skin and soft tissue infection (aHR, 2.46; 95% CI, 2.15–2.81), osteomyelitis (aHR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.14–2.54), and necrotizing fasciitis (aHR, 3.54; 95% CI,1.87–6.67), and this relationship is dose-dependent. This study shows that there is a U-shaped association between body mass index (BMI) and hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infection, septicemia, and the summation of all infections and that underweight people are at the greatest risk, followed by obese people. There is a clear negative relationship between BMI and infection-related mortality.

Conclusions

The pattern that BMI affects the risk of hospitalization and mortality due to infection varies widely across infection sites. It is necessary to tailor preventive and therapeutic measures against different infections in hosts with different BMIs.

Epidemiological Trend of Sepsis in Patients with Hospital Admissions Related to Hepatitis C in Spain (2000-2015): A Nationwide Study

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection predisposes patients to other infectious diseases, such as sepsis. We aimed to analyze epidemiological trends of sepsis-related admissions, deaths, and costs in hospital admissions with chronic hepatitis C who had a hospital admission in Spain. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of all hospitalizations involving chronic hepatitis C in the Spanish Minimum Basic Data Set (MBDS) between 2000 and 2015. This period was divided into four calendar periods (2000–2004, 2005–2007, 2008–2011, and 2012–2015). Results: We selected 868,523 hospital admissions of patients with chronic hepatitis C over 16 years in the Spanish MBDS. Among them, we found 70,976 (8.17%) hospital admissions of patients who developed sepsis, of which 13,915 (19.61%) died during admission. We found an upward trend, from 2000–2003 to 2012–2015, in the rate of sepsis-related admission (from 6.18% to 10.64%; p < 0.001), the risk of sepsis-related admission (from 1.31 to 1.55; p < 0.001), and the sepsis-related cost per hospital admission (from 7198€ to above 9497€; p < 0.001). However, we found a downward trend during the same study period in the sepsis case-fatality rate (from 21.99% to 18.16%; p < 0.001), the risk of sepsis-related death (from 0.81 to 0.56; p < 0.001), and the length of hospital stay (LOHS) (from 16.9 to 13.9; p < 0.001). Moreover, the rate of bacterial Gram-positive and candidiasis infections decreased, while Gram-negative microorganisms increased from 2000–2003 to 2012–2015. Conclusions: Sepsis, in chronic hepatitis C patients admitted to the hospital, has increased the period 2000–2015 and has been an increasing burden for the Spanish public health system. However, there has also been a significant reduction in lethality and LOHS during the study period. In addition, the most prevalent specific microorganisms have also changed in this period.