Abstract
Diagnostic Value of Albumin-Bilirubin-Platelet Score in Diagnosing Esophageal Varices in Cirrhotic Filipino Adults a Single Center Cross-Sectional Study
Jemimah Andrea P. Fajardo, MD; Gian Paulo Alberto V. Soliman, MD; Sarah Jean C. Bellido, MD
St. Luke’s Medical Center - Quezon City
Significance: Esophageal varices are a common complication of liver cirrhosis, associated with increased mortality. Hence, early detection is vital to avoid catastrophic events. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is the gold standard for detecting varices, but its invasiveness and costs have brought about a need to develop more accessible means of diagnosis. Scoring systems using only laboratory parameters have been emerging as prospective alternatives, particularly in resource-limited settings. The aim of the study was to determine the accuracy of the Albumin-Bilirubin-Platelet (ALBI-PLT) Score in diagnosing the presence of esophageal varices in Filipino adults with liver cirrhosis.
Methodology: This is a single center cross-sectional analytical study. Participants included Filipino adults ? 18 years old, who underwent screening endoscopy for esophageal varices, and tested for serum albumin, bilirubin, and platelet count.
Results: A total of 156 patients were included in the study. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve for ALBI-PLT score showed an area under the curve of 0.68 (p=0.001) signifying a significant predictive ability for varices. Best cut-off value determined was > 3. At this cut-off, sensitivity was noted to be 86.494% and specificity of 47.56%. Finally, there was noted to be a direct correlation between the ALBI-PLT score and the size of varices, with a correlation coefficient of 0.337, p value 0.0001.
Conclusion: The ALBI-PLT score has shown to have a significant ability to predict the presence of esophageal varices; and a significant direct correlation with their size. Despite its low specificity, it still shows potential as a simple and accessible tool for screening and early detection of varices as part of a holistic diagnostic approach to patients with cirrhosis.
Important Dates to Remember
| JRRE Activities 2023-2024 |
Proposed Dates |
|---|---|
| Resumption of face-to-face Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop Venue to be announced once finalized. |
July 21, 2023 (Friday), 1-5pm |
| Monthly Critical Appraisal of Topics Conferences to be gaciliated by Research Coordinators per Institution | Monthly Critical Appraisal of Topics Conferences per Institution |
| CAT Plenary/Liver Con Dates: September 23, 2023 December 16, 2023 March 2024 (During the JAC) Resumption of face-to-face Quarterly Critical Appraisal of Topics facilitated by the JRRE |
2 Clinical scenarios and articles are to be sent to institutions each on August 2023, November 2023, and February 2024; |
| Hybrid Research Workshop 4 week asynchronous via Moodle, followed by a 1 day on-site Onsite Workshop Research Protocol Presentation for Level I GI Fellows-In-Training - Research Protocol Presentation: August 12, 2023 - Research Forums of the Tripartite Societies |
Week 1: July 15-21, 2023 Week 2: July 22-28, 2023 Week 3: July 29-August 4, 2023 Week 4: August 5-11, 2023 |
| Research Manuscript Workshop for level II GI Fellows-In-Training | January 6, 2024 |