Skip to main content
 
Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
Stanford Health Care

Infections in decompensated cirrhosis: Pathophysiology, management, and research agenda.

Infections in decompensated cirrhosis: Pathophysiology, management, and research agenda. Hepatology communications Ferguson Toll, J., Solà, E., Perez, M. A., Piano, S., Cheng, A., Subramanian, A. K., Kim, W. R. 2024; 8 (10)

Abstract

Bacterial infections in patients with cirrhosis lead to a 4-fold increase in mortality. Immune dysfunction in cirrhosis further increases the risk of bacterial infections, in addition to alterations in the gut microbiome, which increase the risk of pathogenic bacteria. High rates of empiric antibiotic use contribute to increased incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms and further increases in mortality. Despite continous advances in the field, major unknowns regarding interactions between the immune system and the gut microbiome and strategies to reduce infection risk and improve mortality deserve further investigation. Here, we highlight the unknowns in these major research areas and make a proposal for a research agenda to move toward improving disease progression and outcomes in patients with cirrhosis and infections.

View details for DOI 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000539

View details for PubMedID 39365139