In our own search of excellence, we read, attend meetings, consult one another, and make use of that mystical beast, "the medical literature." In this text are presented recommendations of the indications for the treatment of disorders in hepatology, as derived from major guidelines. Subtle differences between topic guidelines are acknowledged, and where no recent guidelines are available, the author draws on consensus statements, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. And sometimes he even uses even a little bit of common sense, which is no longer so common.