Table 2. Alcohol relapse and 6-month survival after liver transplantation among the 11 included studies.
| References | Groups of patients | N | Alcohol relapse (n) |
Harmful alcohol relapse (n) |
6-month survival (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanouneh 2014 (20) |
AH transplanted patients | 29 | NA£ | NA | 87% |
| Im 2016 (21) |
AH transplanted patients | 16 | 2 | 2££ | 88% |
| Non-responders to corticoids who were not transplanted | 152 | ‒ | ‒ | 19% | |
| Immordino 2009 (10) |
AH transplanted patients | 8 | 1 | NA | NA |
| Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were transplanted | 102 | 12 | NA | NA | |
| Lee 2017 (7) |
AH transplanted patients | 17 | 4 | 4£££ | 100% |
| Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were transplanted | 26 | 7° | 3£££ | 88% | |
| Mathurin 2011 (2) |
AH transplanted patients | 26 | 3 | 2££££ | 77% |
| Non-responders to corticoids who were not transplanted | 26 | ‒ | ‒ | 23% | |
| Shakil 1997 (22) |
AH transplanted patients | 9 | 3°° | NA | 89% |
| Siddachari 2014 (23) |
AH transplanted patients | 33 | 3 | NA | 70% |
| Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were transplanted | 127 | 11 | NA | NA | |
| Singal 2012 (24) |
AH transplanted patients | 55 | NA | NA | 95%°°° |
| Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were transplanted | 165 | NA | NA | 90%°°° | |
| Tomé 2002 (11) |
AH transplanted patients | 36 | 4 | NA°°°° | 79%°°° |
| Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were transplanted | 32 | 3 | NA°°°° | 72%°°° | |
| Van Thiel 1995 (25) |
AH transplanted patients | 64 | 33 | NA | NA |
| Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were transplanted | 145 | 22 | NA | NA | |
| Wells 2007 (26) |
AH transplanted patients | 32 | 10 | 8£££££ | 96%°°° |
| Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were transplanted | 116 | 14 | 12£££££ | 86%°°° |
Abbreviations: NA, not available; AH, alcoholic hepatitis
° Data among 24 patients (2 patients who died during the immediate postoperative period were excluded from this analysis)
°° Data on alcohol relapse available in only 6 patients
°°° Data extrapolated from survival curves
°°°° In ref. [11], data on harmful alcohol relapse are pooled for AH patients and patients with alcoholic cirrhosis
£ Discordant results in the abstract did not allow for extraction of accurate data
££ Alcohol relapse was defined as alcohol consumption of 4 or more drinks in a day or at least one drink for 4 or more days in succession after liver transplantation (harmful drinking)
£££ Harmful alcohol relapse was defined as alcohol relapse with binge drinking or frequent patterns defined as any alcohol consumption on 4 days in a week
££££ Harmful alcohol relapse was defined as daily alcohol consumption
£££££ Harmful alcohol relapse was defined as ≥6 alcoholic drinks in one day