1. Cirrhotic Ascites Patient Population Survey in Korea
CAPPS-Korea
Cirrhotic Ascites Patient Population Survey in Korea
Yung Sang Lee1, Young-Suk Lim1, Sang Hoon Ahn2, Jun Yong Park2, Dong Joon Kim3, Sung Jung Kim3, Mong Cho4, Hugh Watson5
1 Asan Medical Center, Ulsan University, Seoul, Korea, 2 Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, 3 Hallym University Medical Center, Gangwon-do, Korea,
4 Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan, Korea, 5 Sanofi-aventis R&D, Chilly-Mazarin, France
Objective
To describe the characteristics of an unselected sample of Korean patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites and to compare their characteristics and management with those previously published in an international survey (Angeli 2006)
Design
Documentation of demographics, disease status, recent complications and current management of all consecutive patients with cirrhotic ascites seen in a 4-week period in 4 hospital gastroenterology departments in Korea
Conclusions
Patients with cirrhotic ascites seen in Korea and those in an international series were comparable in terms of age, gender and Child-Pugh class.
Differences between patients in Korea and those in other countries included: hepatitis B infection as the most common origin of cirrhosis and presence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Ascites was managed with lower diuretic doses and a similar frequency, but smaller volumes of paracentesis - probably related to a lower body weight.
Overall, the frequency of hyponatraemia was almost identical to the international series, with a similar strong association of hyponatraemia with severity of disease and with most complications of cirrhosis.
Acknowledgement: The authors would like to thank Miss Young Eun Choi for assistance with the organisation of this survey
Reference: Angeli P, Wong F, Gines P, Watson HR. Hyponatraemia in cirrhosis: results of a patient population survey. Hepatology 2006; 44: