Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis for the Acute Physician

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a disease of progressive fibrosis with regenerative nodules resulting in distortion of liver architecture. Early compensated LC can be managed or even reversed by specific treatment; however, decompensated LC has multiple complications leading to increase in morbidity and mortality. Doctors and patients should be aware of the multiple risk factors which can influence compensated LC leading to decompensated LC, most common factors are infection, gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), medications like benzodiazepines and alcohol, constipation, and dehydration with electrolyte abnormalities.