Decompensated cirrhosis and liver failure presented by Helen Vidot, PhD, APD
Nutrition management of advanced liver disease has changed over the past decade. Helen combines nearly 40 years of clinical experience with current evidence to explain how dietitians can improve outcomes for people with decompensated cirrhosis and liver failure. She explores why these patients exist in an "accelerated starvation" state, the central importance of preserving muscle mass, and the nuances of nutritional assessment in these clients. Helen explains the latest evidence around protein, sodium, fasting, tube feeding and branched-chain amino acids. She highlights the emerging roles of frailty, sarcopenia and gut dysbiosis in liver disease progression.
Learn about:
- Why people with decompensated cirrhosis rapidly develop malnutrition, sarcopenia and frailty, and how altered metabolism influences nutrition care.
- The use of practical strategies for nutritional assessment when body weight, BMI and standard malnutrition screening tools become unreliable because of ascites and oedema.
- Implementing evidence-based nutrition interventions including high protein intake, minimising fasting periods, appropriate sodium management, nutrition support and ongoing monitoring to improve clinical outcomes.
Helen Vidot, PhD, APD, is a Senior Dietitian in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. She has worked with the Australian National Liver Transplant Unit since 1986 and is widely recognised for her extensive expertise in the nutritional management of liver disease and liver transplantation. Throughout her career, Helen has also worked across a range of specialist areas including cardiology, cardiac surgery, lipid disorders and bone marrow transplantation. She was awarded her PhD from the University of Sydney in 2020 for her research investigating nutrition interventions in chronic liver disease. Helen's clinical practice and research continue to focus on improving the nutritional status and outcomes of people living with advanced liver disease and those undergoing liver transplantation.
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