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Lim N, Leventhal TM, Thomson MJ, Hassan M, Thompson J, Adams A, Chinnakotla S, Humphreville V, Kandaswamy R, Kirchner V, Pruett TL, Schuller L, McCarty M, Lake J. Protocolized screening and detection of occult alcohol use before and after liver transplant: Lessons learned from a quality improvement initiative. Clin Transplant 2023; 37:e15036. [PMID: 37218656 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.15036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Detection of alcohol (ETOH) use with biomarkers provides an opportunity to intervene and treat patients with alcohol use disorder before and after liver transplant (LT). We describe our center's experience using urine ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and serum phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in alcohol screening protocols. METHODS Single-center, retrospective review of patients presenting for LT evaluation, patients waitlisted for LT for alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), and patients who received a LT for ALD over a 12-month period, from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. Patients were followed from waitlisting to LT, or for up to 12 months post-LT. We monitored protocol adherence to screening for ETOH use- defined as completion of all possible tests over the follow-up period- at the initial LT visit, while on the LT waitlist and after LT. RESULTS During the study period, 227 patients were evaluated for LT (median age 57 years, 58% male, 78% white, 54.2% ALD). Thirty-one patients with ALD were placed on the waitlist, and 38 patients underwent LT for ALD during this time period. Protocolized adherence to screening for alcohol use was higher for PEth for all LT evaluation patients (191 [84.1%] vs. 146 [67%] eligible patients, p < .001), in patients with ALD waitlisted for LT (22 [71%] vs. 14 (48%] eligible patients, p = .04) and after LT for ALD, 20 (33 [86.8%] vs. 20 [52.6%] eligible patients, p < .01). Few patients with a positive test in any group completed chemical dependency treatment. CONCLUSIONS When screening for ETOH use in pre- and post-LT patients, protocol adherence is higher using PEth compared to EtG. While protocolized biomarker screening can detect recurrent ETOH use in this population, engagement of patients into chemical dependency treatment remains challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Lim
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - T M Leventhal
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - M J Thomson
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - M Hassan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - J Thompson
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - A Adams
- Division of Transplant Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - S Chinnakotla
- Division of Transplant Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - V Humphreville
- Division of Transplant Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - R Kandaswamy
- Division of Transplant Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - V Kirchner
- Division of Abdominal Transplantation, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - T L Pruett
- Division of Transplant Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - L Schuller
- University of Minnesota Physicians, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - M McCarty
- Complex Care Analytics, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - J Lake
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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