Drug use for non-hepatic associated conditions in patients with liver cirrhosis

Abstract

Aims: To study the prescribing patterns of practising physicians for the most frequent non-hepatic associated conditions in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: A multi-centre prospective observational study carried out in 25 Spanish hospitals. Inpatients admitted to gastrointestinal and liver units with a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis were included in five centrally assigned index days, between February and June 1999. Information was collected about pharmacological treatments used on admission and recommended at discharge.

Results: Five hundred and sixty-eight in-patients with a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis (44% alcoholic cirrhosis) and an average number of 2.5 co-morbid conditions were studied: diabetes mellitus (30%), infectious disorders (24%), cardiovascular disease (20%) and active alcoholism (15%)--the most common associated conditions. Chlormethiazole, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, paracetamol, gliblenclamide, lorazepam, captopril and tiapride were the drugs used most prevalently. The average prescribed daily dose was <1 defined daily dose per day for most medication classes hepatically handled except for calcium channel blockers.

Conclusions: The present study expands current knowledge of prescribing patterns for associated conditions in patients with underlying liver cirrhosis. Drug dosing was affected in general by the influence of age and hepatic disease on the disposition of drugs, but knowledge on drug selection needs further attention.