Management and prognostic prediction of pyogenic liver abscess in a Chinese tertiary hospital: Percutaneous needle aspiration vs catheter drainage

Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a serious infectious disease with high mortality. The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy of percutaneous needle aspiration (PNA) and percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) for PLA and to assess risk factors for unfavorable prognosis. This retrospective study was performed between 2017 to 2019 in a Chinese tertiary care hospital. We compared the therapeutic effectiveness of PNA versus PCD for PLA and analyzed the risk factors of treatment failure in PLA patients using multivariate logistic regression. A total of 445 patients with PLA were enrolled. The ultrasound-guided percutaneous treatment showed good therapeutic effects on PLA, with a total primary cure rate of 90.1%. PNA appeared to have advantages over PCD, with higher success rates, lower costs, and shorter hospital stays, as well as fewer puncture-induced pain, especially in patients with abscesses of 5-10 cm in diameter. The presence of positive blood culture (OR: 3.32, p = 0.002), liver cirrhosis (OR: 3.31, p = 0.023), and the length of fever resolution (OR: 1.043, p = 0.001) were independent predictors of primary treatment failure. PNA is more advantageous than PCD and is worth considering as a first-line treatment.