Table 1.
Patients characterization
| Variables | Pre-pandemic (n = 53) | Pandemic (n = 44) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex male (%) | 39 (73.6) | 36 (81.8) | 0.466 |
| Age, years | 57.3±12.6 | 61.9±11.8 | 0.068 |
| Cirrhosis (%) | 47 (88.7) | 38 (86.4) | 0.765 |
| Child-Pugh A | 37 (69.8) | 25 (56.8) | |
| Child-Pugh B | 8 (15.1) | 10 (22.7) | 0.404 |
| Child-Pugh C | 2 (3.8) | 3 (6.8) | |
| Etiology (%) | |||
| Alcohol | 19 (40.4) | 21 (55.3) | 0.054 |
| Viral | 10 (21.3) | 5 (13.2) | |
| Alcohol + viral | 6 (12.8) | 4 (10.5) | |
| Other | 12 (25.5) | 8 (21.1) | |
| Etiology eradication (%) | 31/43 (72.1) | 23/35 (65.7) | 0.544 |
| Portal vein thrombosis (%) | 9 (17.0) | 13 (29.5) | 0.141 |
| HCC (%) | 7 (13.2) | 2 (4.5) | 0.143 |
| NSBBs (%) | 32 (60.4) | 30 (69.8) | 0.339 |
| MELD-Na score, median (IQR) | 11.0 (8.8–14.0) | 11.0 (9.00–14.0) | 0.966 |
| Platelets 109/L, median (IQR) | 96.0 (60.0–150.0) | 74.5 (55.8–128.0) | 0.264 |
| INR, median (IQR) | 1.2 (1.1–1.4) | 1.3 (1.1–1.4) | 0.377 |
| Primary prophylaxis (%) | 21 (39.6) | 10 (22.7) | 0.076 |
| Secondary prophylaxis (%) | 32 (60.4) | 34 (77.3) | 0.076 |
| Total EBL sessions (%) | 223 (56) | 175 (44) | 0.577 |
| Mean EBL sessions | 4.2±1.7 | 4.0±2.3 | |
| Variceal eradication (%) | 41 (77.4) | 18 (40.9) | 0.001 |
| GI bleeding (%) | 7 (13.2) | 7 (15.9) | 0.706 |
| 6-month mortality (%) | 7 (13.2) | 8 (18.2) | 0.500 |
HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; NSBBs, nonselective β-blockers; MELD, model of end-stage liver disease; IQR, interquartile range; INR, international normalized ratio; EBL, endoscopic band ligation; GI, gastrointestinal.