The operators had Hepatology experience in either nursing or science. TE was performed consecutively using the FibroScan touch FS502. Age, weight, height, BMI, diagnosis, fasting status, patient position and test location were recorded. Patients were

asked to fast for 3 hours prior to their scan and to lay in dorsal decubitus with their right arm in maximal abduction. Operators chose a test location by percussing for liver dullness. The operators were blinded to fibrosis stage obtained by clinical examination, ultrasound and hepascore. All attempted scans were included in the analysis, even if they were not reported clinically, regardless of success rates and interquartile range. No scans were excluded from the analysis. Results: The average http://www.selleckchem.com/products/epz-6438.html age was 52 years. 55% of patients were referred due to chronic hepatitis C (HCV) and 24% of patients had hepatitis B. Other indications included hemochromatosis, fatty liver disease and primary biliary cirrhosis,. The majority Akt inhibitor review of scans were completed using the medium probe only (n = 73, 83%). In 38 (43.2%) patients there was a difference of <1 kPa, the discrepancy was <2 kPa in 68.2% of patients and <3 kPa in 83.0% of patients (n = 78). There were 6 cases (6.8%) where a difference of >5 kPa

was observed. In each case either two different probes had been used (n = 2), or the patient had a high liver stiffness measure and was staged as cirrhotic (n = 4). The inter-observer intraclass correlation coefficient with two operators was 0.947 (95% CI 0.907–0.970), Spearmans ρ 0.884; p < 0.001). Similar excellent inter-observer intraclass correlation

coefficient was obtained with three operators (0.954 (95% CI 0.921–0.975)). Conclusions: (1) Excellent correlation was found across all three novice operators. TE can be performed with reproducible results in a real world clinical setting utilizing non-medical staff. (2) In accord with other studies, greater variability in results may be found in cirrhotic patients and across the two different probes. (3) A non-medical FibroScan P-type ATPase Clinic is a viable practical option for assessment of liver fibrosis using transient elastography with adequate training. (4) Accurate staging of fibrosis using FibroScan can help to prioritize patients for treatment, particularly in HCV. S PICARDO, JY KONG, N KONTORINIS, L TARQUINIO, W CHENG Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Royal Perth Hospital, WA Background: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a recognized complication of chronic liver disease, has significantly increased over the last decade. Our aim was to evaluate the changing trends in risk factors for HCC at our tertiary center, in order to develop strategies for the prevention and early detection of HCC. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with HCC at Royal Perth Hospital between January 2000 and December 2013. Data was collected from clinical notes and electronic databases.