Albumin-bilirubin score versus Child-Pugh score as predictors of posthepatectomy liver failure in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Objective To investigate the perioperative risk factors for posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Methods Data of 322 cases of liver resection for HCC were retrospectively analyzed from Sep 2013 to Sep 2018. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for PHLF. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive power of the ALBI score and the Child-Pugh score for PHLF. Results Child-Pugh score, ALBI score, intraoperative bleeding amount, ICG R15 and liver fibrosis, peritoneal effusion were independent factors affecting PHLF of HCC patients(P<0.05). ROC analysis of Child-Pugh and ALBI scores predicting PHLF showed that area under the ROC was respectively 0.621 (95% CI: 0.531-0.712) in the Child-Pugh score and 0.729(95% CI: 0.645-0.812)in the ALBI score. The best critical value, sensitivity and specificity of PHLF that were predicted by ALBI score were -2.74, 71.7% and 71.4%, respectively. Conclusions The prognostic power of the ALBI score was greater than that of the Child-Pugh score in predicting PHLF. Key words: Carcinoma, hepatocellular; Hepatctomy; Liver failure