Introduction and aim: Excessive alcohol consumption is a public health concern worldwide and has been associated with high mortality rates. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of alcohol consumption and its influence on the prognosis of hospitalized cirrhotic patients in a tertiary care hospital.
Material and methods: We reviewed the medical records of all patients with hepatic cirrosis admitted between January 2009 and December 2014, in a referral center for liver disease in southern Brazil. Data on clinical outcomes, associated conditions, infections, and mortality were collected and compared between alcoholic and nonalcoholic patients.
Results: The sample consisted of 388 patients; 259 (66.7%) were men. One hundred fifty-two (39.2%) were classified as heavy use of alcohol. Most alcoholic patients were men (n = 144; 94.7%). Mean age was 55.6 ± 8.9 years. Hepatic decompensations and infections were more prevalent in alcoholic patient. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and respiratory tract infection accounted for most of the infections. Excessive alcohol consumption was associated with mortality (P = 0.009) in multivariate analysis.
Conclusion: On the present study, the prevalence of heavy use of alcohol was high and associated with a poorer prognosis in hospitalized cirrhotic patients, increasing the risk of infection and death.
Keywords: Alcoholism. Hepatic disease. Infection. In-hospital mortality..