Background: Infections following transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement have been poorly described. We aim to investigate the rate and the potential predictors of infections occurring after TIPS placement.
Methods: Single center, retrospective, observational study. All patients who had undergone TIPS placement in the last 10 years with a minimum 1-year FU, were considered. Multiple competing risk analyses were performed to identify infection risk factors and a multivariable Cox proportional-hazard regression model to evaluate the predictors of death.
Results: Forty-nine patients were considered. Among these, 23 (46%) developed at least 1 infection during the FU, at a median time of 237.7 days (IQR 151.5) from the TIPS placement. We did not find any predictor of infection, while MELD score and cancer were associated with death (p = .04; HR 1.14; CI 1.00- 1.30).
Conclusion: We found a high rate of all-type infections during the FU times. However, most of these infections occurred as late-onset infections and were caused by Gram-positive microorganisms. Thus, TIPS procedure itself does not seem to be burdened with high infectious perioperative risk.
Keywords: Hepatic encephalopathy risk; Infection risk; Portal hypertension; Predictors of death; TIPS.
Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.