Published online Mar 26, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i6.1042
Peer-review started: December 10, 2019
First decision: December 30, 2019
Revised: January 7, 2020
Accepted: March 5, 2020
Article in press: March 5, 2020
Published online: March 26, 2020
Processing time: 106 Days and 18.6 Hours
Core tip: Bacterial infections (BIs) play pivotal roles in the deterioration of clinical course in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of first BIs in patients with hepatitis B virus-ACLF, as defined by the Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B. Healthcare-associated and nosocomial BIs were the most common types. Pneumonia was the most common form of BI. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 83.6%, and multidrug-resistant organisms accounted for 29.5% of bacteria detected. The 28-d transplant-free survival rates of the patients were very low. Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B-ACLF score, acute kidney injury, bloodstream infection, prothrombin activity, and invasive catheterization were the independent predictors of 28-d outcomes.