Advances in Liver Diseases and Transplantation 2016

Information about evidence-based recommendations for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with acute and chronic liver diseases is important in order to provide optimal care. Specific training and clinical skills to manage patients with cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation, and hepatocellular carcinoma will become increasingly important as they see more patients with end-stage liver disease. Additionally, information about the indications and contraindications to liver transplantation is imperative in order to provide timely referral, evaluation, and listing for transplantation. Moreover, health care personnel outside of liver transplant programs will be increasingly called upon to manage medical problems in patients who have undergone liver transplantation.

This course will address current, evidence-based recommendations on the management of patients with acute and chronic liver diseases, hepatic decompensation, and liver tumors, and review current local practices. The latest information on liver transplant topics relevant to community practitioners will be discussed. Through this course, the gap between best and current practices will be closed in order to provide the optimal patient care, reduce morbidity and mortality, and reduce the burden of liver disease in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Learning Objectives
• Discuss the current screening strategies, staging mechanisms and treatment options for patients with viral hepatitis.
• Identify the indications and contraindications for liver transplant with the goal of increasing patient access and improving outcomes
• Recognize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
• Discuss non-invasive and invasive approaches to the evaluation and treatment of patients with advanced acute and chronic liver diseases