CPGs define the use of diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive modalities, including non-invasive and invasive procedures, in the management of patients with various liver diseases. They are intended to assist physicians and other healthcare providers as well as patients and interested individuals in the clinical decision making process by describing a range of generally accepted approaches for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of specific liver diseases. CPGs have to be distinguished from consensus statements and position papers.
Future guidelines:
Issue 1. Management of Chronic Hepatitis B
Worldwide, hepatitis B virus is a major cause of liver disease (acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer). Approximately, 350 million individuals are infected. According to WHO, hepatitis B virus infection caused 750 000 deaths in 2000. European countries are far from being spared by this dreadful agent.
The first EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines aim to update existing guidelines for the optimal management of chronic hepatitis B. Publication is particularly timely, given the recent increase in understanding of the natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the evaluation and licensing of several new antiviral agents.
“The need for global guidance in medical practice and tools to refine reimbursement policies in different European states and abroad has led EASL to start an ambitious Clinical Practice Guidelines initiative. This has now emerged as one of the priority actions for our association.”
Professor Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, EASL Secretary General (2008)
Issue 2. Management of Cholestatic Liver Diseases
In October 2008, EASL proudly published its first CPG on the “Management of chronic hepatitis B”, eight months later new subject matter was published in the same series of Clinical Practice Guidelines, this time on the Management of cholestatic liver diseases.
