Factors Associated with in-Hospital Mortality in Malagasy Patients with Acute Decompensation of Liver Cirrhosis: A Retrospective Cohort

BACKGROUND: Cirrhosis is a pathology responsible for a significant hospital morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with hospital mortality in a sample of Malagasy cirrhotics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study from January 2018 to August 2020 conducted in the Hepato-Gastroenterology Unity, University Hospital Joseph Raseta Befelatanana, Antananarivo, Madagascar. RESULTS: One hundred and eight patients were included. The mean age was 51.13±13.50 years with a sex ratio of 2.37. The etiology of cirrhosis was dominated by alcohol (44.44%), hepatitis B virus (24.07%) and hepatitis C virus (13.89%). Twenty-eight patients (25.93%) had died. Factors associated with in-hospital mortality were hepatic encephalopathy (OR: 14.16; 95% CI: 5.08–39.4; p: 0.000), renal failure (OR: 8.55; 95% CI: 2.03–39.9; p: 0.0034), gastrointestinal bleeding (OR: 3.25; 95% CI: 1.32–7.92; p: 0.0099), hyponatraemia <130mmol/L (OR: 3.34; 95% CI: 1.04–10.6; p=0.046), Child-Pugh C classification (OR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.12–0.21; p: 0.000), and MELD-Na score >32 (OR: 27.5; 95% CI: 4.32–174.8; p: 0.004). CONCLUSION: The in-hospital mortality rate during acute decompensation of cirrhosis remains high in Madagascar. Hepatic encephalopathy, renal failure, GI bleeding and hyponatraemia are the main clinico-biological factors affecting in-hospital mortality. Early intervention on these modifiable factors is an important step to improve hospital outcomes. The natraemia, MELD score and MELD-Na score should be used in routine practice in Madagascar to identify patients with acute decompensation of cirrhosis at high risk of death.