Liver transplantation in alcohol-associated liver disease: ensuring equity through new processes.
Liver Transpl
; 29(5): 539-547, 2023 05 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2233255
ABSTRACT
Worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol use is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the US, in large part due to alcohol-associated liver disease. Throughout history, liver transplantation for this population has been controversial, and many policies and regulations have existed to limit access to lifesaving transplant for patients who use alcohol. In recent years, the rates of liver transplantation for patients with alcohol-associated liver disease have increased dramatically; however, disparities persist. For instance, many criteria used in evaluation for transplant listing, such as social support and prior knowledge of the harms of alcohol use, are not evidence based and may selectively disadvantage patients with alcohol use disorder. In addition, few transplant providers have adequate training in the treatment of alcohol use disorder, and few transplant centers offer specialized addiction treatment. Finally, current approaches to liver transplantation would benefit from adopting principles of harm reduction, which have demonstrated efficacy in the realm of addiction medicine for years. As we look toward the future, we must emphasize the use of evidence-based measures in selecting patients for listing, ensure access to high-quality addiction care for all patients pretransplant and posttransplant, and adopt harm reduction beliefs to better address relapse when it inevitably occurs. We believe that only by addressing each of these issues will we be able to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources in liver transplantation for all patients.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Liver Transplantation
/
Alcoholism
/
COVID-19
/
Liver Diseases, Alcoholic
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Liver Transpl
Journal subject:
Gastroenterology
/
Transplantation
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Lvt.0000000000000088
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