Comparison of bacterial infection rate between patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and viral liver cirrhosis / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Some studies have reported that bacterial infection is more common in alcoholic compared to non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis such as viral liver cirrhosis. However, other studies reported no significant differences in the bacterial infection rate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis. This study was performed to compare the frequency of bacterial infection between alcoholic and viral liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We analyzed 190 cirrhotic patients (alcoholic 83, viral 107) with 539 hospitalized cases (alcoholic 242, viral 297) who were followed for more than 12 months. RESULTS: During the follow up period, 82 patients (43.2%) presented with bacterial infectionsthat developed in 34 (41.0%) patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 48 (44.9%) patients with viral liver cirrhosis. There was no significant difference in the frequency of bacterial infection including community acquired and nosocomial infection between alcoholic and viral cirrhotic patients regarding the Child-Pugh class, various laboratory parameters and site of infection. Gram-negative and enteric bacterial strains were the most frequently isolated pathogens in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the frequency of infection between patients with alcoholic and viral liver cirrhosis. Further efforts are needed to reduce bacterial infection by gram negative and enteric bacteria in patients with both alcoholic and viral cirrhosis.

The comparison of bacterial infection rate in the patients with alcoholic and viral cirrhosis / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Liver cirrhosis may be considered one of the most common cause of acquired immunodeficiency. Alcohol abuse may be predisposing factor to infections in patients with liver cirrhosis, so we compared the rate of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and other bacterial infections in alcoholic and viral liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We studied 188 patients who had been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis from January 1995 to June 2000 and evaluated the frequency of bacterial infections (SBP, pneumonia, urinary track infection, bacteremia, infectious colitis) retrospectively according to cause and degree of cirrhosis. RESULTS: Among 188 patients (alcoholic 76, viral 112), 64 patients (34%) presented with bacterial infection at hospitalization, 33 (43%;33/76) of 64 subjects were alcoholic and 31 (28%;31/112) of 64 subjects were viral liver cirrhosis. The rate of bacterial infections was higher in alcoholic liver cirrhosis than viral cirrhosis (p0.05). CONCLUSION: This results suggest that the rate of bacterial infections are more common in alcoholic than viral liver cirrhosis in relatively early stage and it may be influence the prognosis of liver cirrhosis.