Liver Cirrhosis
Conditions
Keywords
Dexamethasone, Sodium
Brief summary
Accumulation of salt and water in patients with liver disease (so called liver cirrhosis) is possibly related to the increased effect of steroid hormones on salt reabsorption in the kidney. By reducing overall steroid production with the dexamethasone the accumulation of salt and water could be prevented.
Interventions
DRUGDexamethasone
Daily administration of 2 mg of dexamethasone for 4 days
DRUGPlacebo
Daily administration of 2 mg of placebo for 4 days
Sponsors
University Hospital, Geneva
University of Lausanne Hospitals
Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* patients with established liver cirrhosis (biopsy or biochemically) * hepatorenal syndrome type 1 or 2 (with a serum creatinin \>175 umol/l) * age between 18 and 75 * no bacterial infection * no cardiovascular or extrahepatic disease (end of life) * no structural kidney disease * no hepatocellular carcinoma
Exclusion criteria
* age under 15 or over 75 * treatment with corticosteroids (dexamethasone included) * bacterial infection * cardiovascular or extrahepatic disease (end of life) * structural kidney disease (indicated by hematuria, proteinuria) * hepatocellular carcinoma * mental disability
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Daily sodium excretion of sodium in the urine | 4 days |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| weight reduction | 4 days |
| Reduction of doses of diuretics | 4 days |
| Daily potassium excretion | 4 days |
| Reduction of cortisol excretion in the urine | 4 days |
| Reduction of cortisol levels in the urine | 4 days |
| Reduction of ascites | 4 days |
Countries
Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed