Long-term management of cirrhosis - Appropriate supportive care is both critical and difficult

In the United States, about 26,000 of the 3 million people who have chronic liver disease die each year because of hepatic cirrhosis. Liver transplantation offers the best hope of survival for many of these patients, but the number of patients awaiting transplant far exceeds the number of organs available. What can the primary care physician do to slow the course of liver disease and improve both quality and length of life for these patients? In this article, which concludes a four-article presentation on cirrhosis from Virginia Commonwealth University that began in our February issue, Dr Habib, Ms Bond, and Dr Heuman provide a comprehensive guide to day-to-day management.