Epidemiology and Clinical Profile of Liver Abscess from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India

Abstract

Background: Liver abscess is defined as a localized collection of supportive material encapsulated within the liver parenchyma due to inflammatory necrosis secondary to bacterial, amoebic, tubercular, or fungal pathogens. Male gender, advanced age liver cirrhosis, proton pump inhibitors low socioeconomic status, alcoholism, diabetes, immunodeficiency states and poor hygiene are few of the risk factors mentioned in literature that are associated with Liver abscess. In the past decade, the treatment protocol has changed from a radical approach to more conservative approach involving use of antibiotics and percutaneous drainage. Aims and Objectives: We aim to study the epidemiology, clinical profile, laboratory findings and treatment protocol in cases of Liver abscesses in our tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: It was a cross sectional observational study conducted in Department of Surgery at Government Medical College, Jammu from January 2018 to December 2020. It consisted of first 150 patients that were admitted to our tertiary care hospital with the diagnosis of Liver Abscess on ultrasonography. Patients were managed either by medical management or surgically via percutaneous aspiration, pigtail drainage or Open/Laparoscopic drainage. Results and Discussion: In this study we found that middle-aged men with low socio-economic status and risk factors of alcoholism and smoking were the most vulnerable group to Pyogenic Liver Abscess. Pain right upper abdomen was the chief complaint in almost all the patients followed by fever, rigors, and chills. Majority of the patients in this study were treated with medical management and only a small proportion of patients required surgical intervention.
Conclusion: Considering the risk factors, there is a need for social awareness in this regard. It is also urged to the general masses regarding the value of good personal hygiene. This study suffers from limitations due to small sample size and limited area coverage.