Objective: To investigate the influence of liver lesions and vitamin K1 on bleeding after liver biopsy in patients with chronic renal failure and hepatitis virus infection.
Methods: Ninety-two renal transplant recipients on hemodialysis with hepatitis B or C virus infection received percutaneous liver biopsy. The severities of liver inflammation and fibrosis were evaluated by semi-quantitative technique. Thirty-four patients were given intramuscular injection of vitamin K1 before liver biopsy at the dose of 10 mg twice daily for 3 days.
Results: The total incidence of bleeding after liver biopsy was 12.0% (11/92) in these patients, and the use of vitamin K1 did not significantly influence the incidence of bleeding, nor did the degree of liver lesions.
Conclusions: Bleeding occurred with a relatively high incidence after liver biopsy in patients with chronic renal failure and hepatitis virus B or C infection; vitamin K1 before liver biopsy could not reduce the incidence of bleeding, which is not correlated with the degree of liver lesions.