The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on hospitalization rate, clinical impairment and mortality of cirrhotic patients

: The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruption to global healthcare systems, necessitating the reallocation of resources to address the immediate demands. This reorganization had significant repercussions on the management of chronic diseases, including cirrhosis. We sought to provide a comprehensive picture of the COVID-19 impact on monthly hospitalization rates of cirrhotic patients at Local Health Board 1 hospitals in the Abruzzo Region, Italy. Using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, we identified cases of alcohol-related, nonalcohol-related, biliary, and decompensated cirrhosis. We analyzed 957 Hospital Discharge Records from January 1 to December 31, 2019 (pre-pandemic), and from January 1 to December 31, 2022 (post-pandemic). We evaluated patients' clinical impairment, length of stay, and mortality before and after the pandemic. We identified 494 hospitalizations for nonalcohol-related cirrhosis and 310 for alcohol-related cirrhosis. As key findings, hospitalizations for nonalcohol-related cirrhosis decreased (69% vs. 48%; p < .0001), while hospitalizations for alcohol-related cirrhosis increased (31% vs. 52%; p < .0001), in the post-pandemic period. Additionally, there was a significant rise in decompensated patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis post-COVID (77% vs. 65%; p = .0216). Mortality risk increased for both nonalcohol- (11% vs. 18.5%; p = .0176) and alcohol-related cirrhosis (7.7% vs. 18%; p = .0059) in the post-pandemic era. The increase in hospitalizations for alcohol-related cirrhosis is alarming and likely to have a prolonged impact on the natural history of liver diseases. There is an urgent need to reduce alcohol consumption at the population level. Continued awareness and personalized follow-up are essential for guaranteeing the standard of care during health emergencies.