Uncovering unsuspected advanced liver fibrosis in patients referred to alcohol nurse specialists using the ELF test.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Alcohol use disorders (AUD) cause 7.2% of UK hospital admissions/year. Most are not managed by hepatologists and liver disease may be missed. We used the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test to investigate prevalence and associations of occult advanced liver fibrosis in AUD patients not known to have liver fibrosis.

Methods

Liver fibrosis was assessed using ELF in prospective patients referred to the Royal Free Hospital Alcohol Specialist Nurse (November 2018-December 2019). Known cases of liver disease were excluded. Patient demographics, blood tests, imaging data and alcohol histories recorded. Advanced fibrosis was categorised as ELF ≥ 10.5.

Results

The study included 99 patients (69% male, mean age 53.1 ± 14.4) with median alcohol intake 140 unit

SUBMITTER: Rhodes F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8011169 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature