Evaluation of L-Carnitine Therapy in Critically Ill Patients with Liver Disease Admitted to Intensive Care Unit

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the potential effectiveness of l-carnitine as an additional therapy in critically ill patients with liver disease admitted to the intensive care unit. It focuses on patients with decompensated cirrhosis and related serious complications such as hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, variceal bleeding, fulminant hepatitis, and acute-on-chronic liver failure. The study highlights the challenge of managing these conditions due to high hospitalization rates, poor survival, and a lack of standardized intensive care protocols for liver disease patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either l-carnitine or standard medical treatment for liver disease while admitted in the ICU. L-carnitine, a natural substance important for energy metabolism, is being studied for its possible benefits in improving liver and kidney function and reducing inflammation markers. The treatment period corresponds to the ICU stay, with assessments at admission and discharge. During the study, participants will undergo laboratory tests measuring serum creatinine, international normalized ratio, blood urea nitrogen, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase at ICU admission and discharge, typically about 7 days apart. These assessments aim to track organ function and liver injury. The study also monitors safety and clinical outcomes throughout the ICU stay, which may last about a week. The total duration of participation aligns with the ICU admission to discharge period.

Evaluation of the Clinical Impact of Adjunctive L-carnitine Therapy in Critically Ill Hepatic Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Unit