Improvement in survival after transplantation for critically ill patients with cirrhosis in the United States.

The absolute number and relative percentage of LT recipients who were critically ill increased over time, as did one-year post-LT survival. Meanwhile, the gap in survival between this group of patients and non-critically ill patients with cirrhosis decreased, but persisted. Cautious access to selected LT candidates that are critically ill may be warranted, provided the gap in survival with non-critically ill patients remains as small as possible.