Open AccessThe Role of a Medical Intermediate Care Unit in the Management of Budd-Chiari Syndrome: Case Series
Author(s) -
Márcia Cravo,
Daniel G Oliveira,
Arlindo Guimas,
Pedro Vita,
Ana Rego,
Rute Alves,
Diana Valadares,
Graziela Carvalheiras,
Miguel Ricardo,
Alexandre Pinto,
Helena Pessegueiro,
Filipe Nery
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of medical cases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1923-4163
pISSN - 1923-4155
DOI - 10.14740/jmc3659
Subject(s) - medicine , budd–chiari syndrome , asymptomatic , etiology , liver transplantation , intensive care unit , intensive care medicine , therapeutic approach , disease , pediatrics , transplantation , inferior vena cava
Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) has a wide spectrum of presentations, from an asymptomatic status to acute liver failure (ALF). The therapeutic approach depends on disease severity and related etiology with patients with severe forms of presentation classically managed in intensive care units (ICUs). Here, we report a series of five BCS patients managed in a medical intermediate care unit (IntCU), with three of them presenting with acute liver injury. Progression to ALF was seen in three patients, two of whom died, with one being successfully submitted to liver transplantation. IntCUs allow a 24-h patient surveillance and a prompt management of BCS, with less economic impact when compared to ICUs. Mortality was related to the presence of associated comorbidities that limited therapeutic approach.