Prognosis of French COVID-19 patients with chronic liver disease: A national retrospective cohort study for 2020

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The impact of chronic liver disease on outcomes in patients with COVID-19 is uncertain. Hence, we aimed to explore this association. METHODS: We explored the outcomes of all adult inpatients with COVID-19 in France, in 2020. We computed adjusted odds ratios to measure the associations between chronic liver disease, alcohol use disorders, mechanical ventilation and day-30 in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: The sample comprised 259,110 patients (median [IQR] age 70 (54–83) years; 52% men), including 15,476 (6.0%) and 10,006 (3.9%) patients with chronic liver disease and alcohol use disorders, respectively. Death occurred in 38,203 (15%) patients, including 7,475 (28%) after mechanical ventilation, and 2,941 (19%) with chronic liver disease. The adjusted odds ratios for mechanical ventilation and day-30 mortality were 1.54 (95% CI 1.44–1.64, p <0.001) and 1.79 (1.71–1.87, p <0.001) for chronic liver disease; 0.55 (0.47–0.64, p <0.001) and 0.54 (0.48–0.61, p <0.001) for mild liver disease; 0.64 (0.53–0.76; p <0.001) and 0.71 (0.63–0.80, p <0.001) for compensated cirrhosis; 0.65 (0.52–0.81, p <0.001) and 2.21 (1.94–2.51, p <0.001) for decompensated cirrhosis; 0.34 (0.24–0.50; p <0.001) and 1.38 (1.17–1.62, p <0.001) for primary liver cancer; and 0.82 (0.76–0.89; p <0.001) and 1.11 (1.05–1.17; p <0.001) for alcohol use disorders. Chronic viral hepatitis; non-viral, non-alcoholic chronic hepatitis; organ, including liver, transplantation, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were not associated with COVID-19-related death. CONCLUSION: Chronic liver disease increased the risk of COVID-19-related death in France in 2020. Therapeutic effort limitation may have contributed to COVID-19-related death in French residents with a liver-related complication or an alcohol use disorder. LAY SUMMARY: We studied the outcomes, including mechanical ventilation and day-30 mortality, of all adults with COVID-19 who were discharged from acute and post-acute care in France in 2020 (N = 259,110). Patients with mild liver disease; compensated cirrhosis; organ, including liver, transplantation; or acquired immunodepression syndrome were not at increased risk of COVID-19-related mortality. Patients with alcohol use disorders, decompensated cirrhosis, or primary liver cancer were at increased risk of COVID-19-related mortality but were less likely to receive mechanical ventilation. Our results suggest that therapeutic effort limitation may have contributed to the excess mortality in French residents with a liver-related complication or an alcohol use disorder.