This clinical school is designed to advance practical expertise in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of infections and sepsis in patients with advanced chronic liver disease.

Infections are a leading cause of decompensation and mortality in cirrhosis, and sepsis remains one of its most devastating complications. Their clinical impact is further amplified by the rising prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and an evolving microbiological landscape.

The program focuses on evidence-based approaches to infection-related complications, with particular emphasis on antimicrobial stewardship. Current management guidelines are largely extrapolated from non-cirrhotic populations, while emerging antibiotics, biomarkers, and vaccines remain insufficiently studied in liver disease. As a result, everyday clinical practice often lags behind rapidly advancing therapeutic options.

Through interactive, small-group workshops and case-based discussions, participants will develop skills to critically appraise the literature and translate research findings into real-world clinical decision-making. Led by hepatology and infectious-disease experts from leading centers, this two-day course addresses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges across the full spectrum of infections and sepsis in cirrhosis, and concludes with participant-led presentations and dynamic faculty discussions.

School Organisers:

• Marina Berenguer
• Iva Košuta
• Anna Mrzljak
• Neven Papić

Please note that the programme is subject to change, and will be updated continuously up to the school event.

• To improve clinical decision-making in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infections and sepsis in advanced chronic liver disease, including multidrug-resistant infections.
• To embed antimicrobial stewardship into everyday hepatology practice, with emphasis on appropriate antibiotic choice, escalation, and de-escalation.
• To address infection-related complications such as ACLF and sepsis, and their impact on prognosis and liver transplant eligibility.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize and manage common and severe infections in cirrhosis, including SBP, pneumonia, and sepsis, using up-to-date diagnostic and treatment strategies.
2. Choose empiric and targeted antibiotic therapy in patients with cirrhosis, accounting for local resistance patterns, prior antibiotic exposure, and organ dysfunction.
3. Interpret microbiological results and biomarkers to adjust antimicrobial treatment in real time and avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.
4. Identify early signs of clinical deterioration, including progression to ACLF or septic shock, and implement timely escalation of care.
5. Assess transplant eligibility in patients with active infection, balancing infection control, disease severity, and expected outcomes.

• Network with peers and experts in hepatology and infectious diseases.
• Improve your antimicrobial decision-making, from empiric therapy to targeted treatment and de-escalation, guided by antimicrobial-stewardship practices.
• Gain insight into complex clinical decisions, including ACLF management and transplant assessment in patients with active infection.

• Hepatologists
• Infectious disease specialists
• Clinical scientists
• Transplant hepatologists
• Intensive care trainees