Anemia in Chronic Liver Disease and Liver Failure in Adults - A Clinical Study

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chronic liver disease with or without liverfailure is associated with considerable morbidity andmortality and affects the quality of life as usually they areprogressive and often non-reversible. In the present study wehave attempted to look at the clinical presentation, etiologiesand anemia profile for chronic liver disease patients in ourpopulation. Curent study aimed to assess the clinical profileand type of anemia in chronic liver disease and liver failurein adult patients.Material and Methods: This was a prospective observationalhospital-based study carried out in the department of GeneralMedicine at, over a period of eighteen months. A total of 38patients with chronic liver disease with/without liver failurewere studied for patient demographics, clinical presentation,symptomatology, for etiology of the disease, for degree ofanemia and morphologic type of anemia.Results: The patient age ranged from 19 to 76 years and themale to female ratio was 2.81. CLD was most common inthe fifth and sixth decades of life. Malaise, nausea, emesis,jaundice, anemia and hepatomegaly were the most commonclinical features. Most (44.7%) cases were of chronic hepatitiswith cirrhosis. Alcoholic liver disease and HBV infectionwere the most common causes for CLD and liver failure. Atotal of 33 (86.8%) patients had anemia and the normocyticnormochromic type of anemia was the most common (39.4%)type seen.Conclusion: Chronic liver disease and liver failure are morecommon in the fifth and sixth decades of life and are mostoften caused by alcoholic liver disease and HBV infection inIndia. CLD has varied clinical presentation with symptomsoften related to the gastrointestinal tract and organomegaly.It is frequently associated with moderate degree of anemiawhich is often of normocytic type.