Current status of alcoholic hepatitis in Japan (2012)

Severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) has a high mortality rate. Ability of Japan Alcoholic Hepatitis Score (JAS) to predict outcome was confirmed by examining the data of 90 patients with AH in 2012: 53 had moderate AH of whom 45 were alive and 8 were dead, while 37 had SAH of whom 21 were alive and 16 were dead. The prevalence of DIC was higher in patients who had died, while TB at 5 days was higher in SAH patients who had died. WBC and PT (INR) at 5 days were higher in moderate AH patients who had died. These results suggest that JAS allows stratification of the risk of death and can help manage patients with AH. Irrespective of severity, the treatment such as steroid should be carried out if WBC, PT (INR) or TB at 5 days were not yet fully recovered.