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Early Postoperative CRRT After Liver Transplantation in ACLF Patients With Overt HE

Not Applicable
Conditions
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure
Interventions
Device: eCRRT
Registration Number
NCT04317222
Lead Sponsor
Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University
Brief Summary

Pretransplant hepatoencephalopathy (HE) markedly impacts recipient outcomes after liver transplantation. Intraoperative CRRT showed benefits but feasibility was much concerned. This study aims to observe the effect on consciousness recovery when initiating CRRT early in the post-transplant period in recipients with ACLF and overt HE.

Detailed Description

Hepatoencephalopathy (HE) is a common severe decompensation in end stage liver diseases and resulted to the need of liver transplantation (LT). Pretransplant HE markedly impacts recipient outcomes after liver transplantation. HE in acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is categorized to type C HE. Hyperammonemia and systemic inflammation have been reported to contribute its development. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has been shown great benefits in ACLF patients with HE. Intraoperative CRRT in LT also showed benefits but feasibility was much concerned. Our preliminary retrospective data showed that early CRRT (eCRRT) after LT reduced consciousness recovery time, ventilation days and post-transplant infection rate.

This open label, parallel randomized trial will observe the effect on consciousness recovery when initiating CRRT early (eCRRT) in the post-transplant period in recipients with ACLF and overt HE.

The CRRT safety and ventilation days, infection, mortality and ICU stay will also be measured.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
250
Inclusion Criteria

Liver transplant recipients who meet all of the following criteria will be enrolled

  1. Pre transplant liver failure: Total bilirubin over 171μmol/L and prothrombin activity (PTA)<40%;
  2. Overt hepatic encephalopathy(HE): Grade II or higher HE according West Haven classification;
  3. HE associated with acute liver failure (Type A) or cirrhosis complicated with portal hypertension and/or portal systemic shunts (Type C)
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Patients with a previous history of kidney-related diseases and glomerular filtration rate <30 millilitre per minute;
  2. Patients with acute renal failure need CRRT before transplantation;
  3. Patients newly developed acute renal failure need CRRT at the time of randomization;
  4. Retransplantation or multiple-organs transplantation;
  5. Any ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke co-morbidity;
  6. Hemodynamic instability requiring fluid resuscitation or very high dose of vasopressors;
  7. Extremely moribund patients with an expected life expectancy of less than 24 hours.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
eCRRT groupeCRRTInitiated CRRT within the first 24 post-transplant hours.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Adverse eventsFrom the immediate to 7 days after liver transplantation (CRRT therapy period)

Any adverse event which probable related with CRRT

Consciousness recovery timeFrom the immediate to 30 days after liver transplantation

The period from post-transplant immediate to the time when the patient have the first spontaneous eye opening and proper motor response to commands.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Infection rateFrom the immediate to 30 days after liver transplantation

Any diagnosed infection after transplantation in 30 days

Invasive ventilation daysFrom the immediate to 30 days after liver transplantation

The time period when patients breath with ventilator through artificial airway

ICU stay (days)up to one year

The time period from transplantation to first ICU discharge

90 days mortalityFrom the immediate to 90 days after liver transplantation

All cause mortality

Reintubation rateFrom the immediate to 30 days after liver transplantation

Reintubation after the first extubation following liver transplantation

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