Page 35 - Care-for-vulnerable-populations-during-COVID-19-pandemic

Treating liver disease alongside COVID-19.

As shown, patients with cirrhosis have higher mortality. So we need to keep this vulnerable
group safe. We need to educate patients/caregivers/HCW; streamline appointments and
procedures. We can use tele-review or tele-clinics.
Actually, endoscopy is an aerosol generating procedure. Usually we do endoscopy to detect
any varices in chronic liver disease patients especially, cirrhotic patients before we start beta
blocker. Now, we consider to start beta-blockers in selected group of patients (which in study has
shown that they had high risk of varices) for primary prophylaxis without doing endoscopy.
Liver transplantation is actually lifesaving emergency surgery for acute liver failure/ high MELD
liver patients.