who underwent liver transplantation died. Within paracetamol overdose (POD) and non-POD subgroups, phosphate concentrations were not significantly higher in group II patients (P ‫؍‬ 0.08 and P ‫؍‬ 0.27, respectively), when compared to group I patients. In multivariate analysis, post admission 12-hour lactate level was the only predictor of survival for the POD subgroup, whereas in non-POD patients, 12-hour lactate and admission bilirubin levels were significant in predicting patients' outcome. In conclusion, we found that while serum phosphate concentrations have limited clinical utility as prognostic markers, persistently elevated arterial blood lactate levels despite adequate fluid resuscitation are indicators of a poor prognosis in FHF.

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Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with interferon (IFN)-alpha, as monotherapy or in combination with ribavirin, is associated with significant side-effects including weight loss. The aim of our study was to describe the evolution of body weight during combination antiviral treatment and to examine the possible determinants of weight loss. This was a retrospective analysis of 126 patients who received combination therapy of pegylated IFN-alpha-2b and ribavirin at our unit. Body weight was recorded at each outpatient attendance during treatment and follow-up, and was expressed as a percentage of baseline value. We observed a decline of body weight during treatment. Median (range) weight values at 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks (expressed as percentage of baseline weight) were 97.7 (91.5-110.2), 95.4 (84.4-109.4), 93.7 (80.8-106.5), and 91.1 (80.1-103.6) respectively. There was no significant association of increased weight loss with age, gender, pretreatment weight, ethnicity, pretreatment histological stage, cumulative IFN dose (adjusted for body weight), HCV genotype or treatment outcome. Median body weight returned to baseline within 6 months of stopping treatment. Patients experience significant weight loss during combination therapy. Those experiencing greater weight losses during therapy did not benefit from improved antiviral response.

Band ligation is the best treatment option for primary prevention of variceal bleeding with minimal complications. Carvedilol is a good pharmaceutical alternative medicine to propranolol with lesser side-effects. Progress of liver disease as represented by Child score is not affected by any of the primary variceal prophylactic regimens, although medical treatment reduces portal hypertensive gastropathy. Choice of treatment depends on patient will, compliance with treatment, and endoscopist competence.

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