Active clinical trials for "Liver Cirrhosis"

The investigator's aim is to compare the efficacy of Ropinirole (Requip) to vitamin E in the treatment of muscle cramps in cirrhotic patients.

Ascites is the accumulation of fluid inside the abdomen. This can happen when the liver fails due to a substantial amount of scarring (cirrhosis). Patients (pts) must have this fluid drained and as cirrhosis progresses, patients will require drainage of ascites repeatedly on a regular basis, leading to frequent hospitals visits and increased complications. The current drainage device is slow and doesn't always drain completely so pts have to return repeatedly to keep symptoms under control. A new device (called Melody) has been developed and specifically designed for the purpose of draining ascites fluid, which the Investigators expect to drain faster and completely. This study will compare the volume of ascites drained using the new 'Melody' catheter device with that used in standard NHS practice. If the melody catheter device is confirmed as superior to the current device this would improve patient experience (less frequent visits to hospital and increased length of time between visits). With fewer procedures performed per patient, the pressure on the NHS would be greatly reduced in terms of time and costs.

This study compare the effects of traditional follow-up by physician with a combined follow-up alternately by physician and nurse-led clinic. The main variable is; health related quality of Life. Participants are randomized into control group or intervention group.

The Researchers are trying to assess the effectiveness of a new ultrasound technique for non-invasive evaluation of liver fibrosis.

To evaluate the safety and tolerability of Nitazoxanide (NTZ) 500mg Twice Daily (BID) after 24 weeks of treatment in patients with NASH induced Stage 2 or Stage 3 fibrosis

The objective of this protocol is to test the effectiveness of a Jumpstart intervention on patient-centered outcomes for patients with chronic illness by ensuring that they receive care that is concordant with their goals over time, and across settings and providers. This study will examine the effect of the EHR-based intervention to improve quality of palliative care for patients 55 years or older with chronic, life-limiting illness with a particular emphasis on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The specific aims are: To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel EHR-based (electronic health record) clinician Jumpstart guide, compared with usual care, for improving the quality of care; the primary outcome is documentation of a goals-of-care discussion in the period between randomization and 30 days following randomization. Secondary outcomes focus on intensity of care: ICU use, ICU and hospital length of stay, costs of care during the hospitalization, and 7 and 30-day hospital readmissions. To conduct a mixed-methods evaluation of the implementation of the intervention, guided by the RE-AIM framework for implementation science, incorporating quantitative evaluation of the intervention's reach and adoption, as well as qualitative analyses of interviews with participants, to explore barriers and facilitators to future implementation and dissemination.

The study is planned as a 3 part design with investigator and participant blinded (sponsor-open), placebo controlled, randomized, dose escalation in Part 1 and Part 2; and a randomized, open label design, in Part 3 (if conducted).

Liver cirrhosis still becomes a major issue in Indonesia. Malnutrition has been observed in liver cirrhosis patients as it deteriorates liver function and cirrhosis itself. Malnutrition in liver cirrhosis can increase morbidity and mortality rates. Patients with liver cirrhosis have increased energy expenditure and endogenous fat oxidation reaction which is used as the basic energy sources. Energy obtained from fat was accounted for 86% of the total energy sources in this population. Fatty acid is also known to be an efficient energy backup for hepatocytes and other cells because it generates higher adenosine triphosphate (ATP) than other sources. Supplementary diet for patients with liver cirrhosis is considered beneficial for preventing hypercatabolism. To fulfill their nutritional needs, patients with liver cirrhosis is advised to take an extra food, such as a late night snack (LNS) with a total carbohydrate of around 50 g (equivalent to 200 kkal). Considering that most of the energy source in patients with liver cirrhosis came from fat, so the additional sources of energy having a high fat content were considered to be potentially highly beneficial to address the patients' nutritional status, as well as to reduce the risk of hyperglycemia after a meal and hypoglycemia after a long night fasting period time. Coconut milk contains many saturated fatty acids belonging to the medium chain triacylglycerol (MCT) group. The characteristics of MCT are quite different from long chain triacylglycerol (LCT). MCTs are more easily absorbed than LCTs, and are mostly absorbed in the form of free fatty acids, in both healthy and liver cirrhosis populations. This study wants to investigate the effects of coconut milk supplementation on improving the nutritional status of patients with liver cirrhosis. The patients were divided into 2 groups, groups I received 25 g of sugar plus 50 cc of coconut milk (200 kkal) as late night snacks (LNS); and group II received 50 g of sugar alone (200 kkal) as LNS. Investigators think that the group who received coconut milk supplementation has better nutritional status than the other group.

Patients with cirrhosis are particularly prone to infection which is frequently a precipitant of hepatic encephalopathy, renal failure and circulatory collapse. Bacterial infections are of particular concern in patients with cirrhosis because they are poorly tolerated. Sepsis and associated endotoxaemia whereby bacteria produce inflammatory particles occur in approximately 40% of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and is a major cause of death. Gut-derived and blood-borne pathogens can induce an inflammatory response within the liver and spleen, which are the major organs that remove bacteria and their endotoxin (such as lipopolysaccharide - LPS and bacterial DNA itself) from the bloodstream. Several mechanisms have been identified and proposed in this process which depends upon a balance between the barrier functions of the gut and the 'detoxifying' capacity of the liver. People with established liver cirrhosis have been shown to have escape of endotoxin into the bloodstream produced by bacteria that reside in their intestines, which becomes more permeable or 'leaky'. Gut dysfunction is defined by changes in the types of bacteria within the gut and in overall permeability allowing bacterial products which would otherwise be contained within the gut to travel into the bloodstream and lymphatic system with detrimental effects elsewhere in the body. This passage of bacterial products is termed bacterial translocation, and it's effects on the liver and general immune system can be then be measured. It has now become recognised that certain types of white blood cells such as neutrophils and monocytes become dysfunctional and this predisposes to infection and may also have a more direct pathogenic role in hepatic encephalopathy. Thus neutrophil and monocytes may be a novel pharmacotherapeutic target in a condition where current therapies such as bowel aperients (e.g. lactulose) are inadequate. A therapeutic strategy utilising Rifaximin, a non-absorbable antibiotic, to modulate gut bacterial which produce ammonia, a chemical known to be important in the cause of hepatic encephalopathy, could potentially lower gut-derived systemic inflammation, endotoxaemia, infection and organ dysfunction in this population improving outcomes and prolonging transplant-free survival. We therefore plan to test if Rifaximin positively affects markers of immune dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis experiencing chronic hepatic encephalopathy after 30 days of treatment, as our primary research question. Positive results from this study would support further trials into the potential benefit of using Rifaximin to improve immune function, as well as reduce the recurrence of hepatic encephalopathy, in patients with liver cirrhosis.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of varying degrees of hepatic function (Child-Pugh classification) on the pharmacokinetics and safety of pasireotide s.c. in subjects.