THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT SUBJECTS WITH COMPENSATED LIVER CIRRHOSIS AND BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH

Introduction and Objectives

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) has been associated with greater severity of cirrhosis, as measured by the Child-Pugh classification, and with an increased incidence of complications. However, its impact on quality of life and on the progression of compensated liver cirrhosis has been scarcely studied.

To evaluate the relationship between SIBO and quality of life in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis treated at an outpatient Hepatology center in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted. Adult patients diagnosed with compensated liver cirrhosis and evaluated in the outpatient Hepatology clinic were included. A hydrogen breath test was used to detect SIBO, and the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) was applied to assess quality of life. Patients with a positive SIBO result were treated with rifaximin according to clinical guidelines. A univariate linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between SIBO (independent variable) and CLDQ scores (dependent variable).

Results

Most participants were male (62.5%) with a mean age of 65 years. Hypertension was present in 53.1%, and 42.2% had type 2 diabetes. SIBO was detected in 29.7% of patients. The average CLDQ scores across evaluated domains did not show statistically significant differences between patients with and without SIBO: abdominal (p=1.21), fatigue (p=1.46), systemic (p=1.09), activity (p=1.18), emotional (p=0.87), and worry (p=1.00).

Conclusions

So far, no significant differences in quality of life have been found between patients with and without SIBO in compensated liver cirrhosis.