The use of Pugh score to evaluate the prognostic and therapeutic influence of drinking in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis

: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical usefulness of Pugh score in the prognosis of the patients (pts.) with decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC). To determine the influence of heavy drinking with respect to the prognosis of DLC patients, 128 cases of DLC were divided into two groups including the 31 heavy drinker group (Group A) and 97 non-alcoholic group (Group B). At the time of admission, the both groups showed similar Pugh score. However, after initial two hospitalized weeks, Group A started to show significantly lower points of Pugh score than that of in Group B. Fifteen pts. (48%) in Group A and 55 pts. (57%) in Group B had greater than 9 in Pugh score at the time of admission. In Group A, 10 of 15 pts. declined the scores after initial two weeks and 9 of them lived more than one year after admission. In contrast, none of those 55 pts. in Group B declined their Pugh score after admission and 45 of them died within one year. It was concluded that Pugh score was extremely useful to evaluate the prognosis of DLC pts., and DLC pts. who had greater than 9 Pugh score were seemed to be critical. It was suggested that DLC pts. due to heavy drinking tend to improve Pugh score comparing to no alcoholic DLC pts.