A groundbreaking national study in the UK is set to determine the effectiveness of long-term abdominal drains in enhancing the quality of life for patients suffering from refractory ascites due to advanced chronic liver disease.
Study Design and Objectives
The REDUCe2 trial, a comprehensive, multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial, will involve 310 patients across England, Scotland, and Wales. Participants, ineligible for liver transplants or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS), will be randomly assigned to either receive the palliative tunnelled long-term abdominal drains (LTADs) or continue with the existing standard treatment of large-volume paracentesis (LVP). The primary focus is on assessing liver-specific health-related quality of life over a 12-week period using the Short Form Liver Disease Quality of Life questionnaire.
Potential Implications for Palliative Care
Secondary outcomes of the study will explore symptom burdens, health utilities, caregiver workloads, safety metrics, and healthcare resource utilization. Additionally, the study aims to gauge the acceptability of the LTAD intervention among patients, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals. With its extensive design, REDUCe2 seeks to fill the existing gaps in palliative care services for this vulnerable group.
Inference:
- Implementing LTADs could significantly reduce hospital visits for ascites management.
- Enhanced quality of life may lead to decreased caregiver burden and improved overall patient well-being.
Addressing the unmet needs in palliative care for advanced chronic liver disease, the REDUCe2 trial stands as the UK’s largest palliative interventional study. Its outcomes are poised to inform best practices and optimize care strategies, offering hope for better-managed symptoms and improved quality of life for patients facing refractory ascites.
This article has been prepared with the assistance of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more details, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author.
