Respiratory Institute Outcomes

Cleveland Clinic’s Medical Intensive Liver Unit (MILU), a collaboration of critical care and hepatology, opened in summer 2018. One of only a few liver-specific intensive care units in the US, it provides multidisciplinary care for critically ill patients with liver failure. Patients cared for in the MILU have acute liver failure, acute-on-chronic liver failure, and decompensated cirrhosis and its complications. Critically ill patients waiting or being evaluated for liver transplant receive care in the MILU from a multidisciplinary team that includes specialists in critical care, hepatology, pathology, transplant, social work, pharmacology, nursing, nutrition, and physical therapy. In 2021, 344 patients were admitted to the MILU; 201 of these patients were listed for transplant and 50 (25%) patients received a liver transplant during their hospital stay with 34 (68%) patients going to the operating room directly from the MILU.

The MILU care team strives to provide optimal medical management of these patients with complex conditions no matter what the long term goal. Whether optimizing their status in preparation for a transplant, returning them back to a normal life at home, or having timely, compassionate goals of care conversations, the MILU metrics reflect excellent care.