Management options in decompensated cirrhosis

Chronic injury to the liver from a variety of different sources can result in irreversible scarring of the liver, known as cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was responsible for 31,903 deaths in 2010 alone. It is thus of the utmost importance to appropriately manage these patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting to improve morbidity and mortality. In this review, we address four major areas of cirrhosis management: outpatient management of portal hypertension with decompensation, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, and bleeding/coagulation issues. Outpatient management covers recommendations for health care maintenance and screening. Hepatic encephalopathy encompasses a brief review of pathophysiology, treatment in the acute setting, and long-term prevention. Hepatorenal syndrome is discussed in regards to pathophysiology and treatment in the hospital setting. Finally, a discussion of the assessment of coagulation profiles in cirrhosis and recommendations for bleeding and thrombosis complications is included. These topics are not all encompassing with regard to this complicated population, but rather an overview of a few medical problems that are commonly encountered in their care.