Table 1. Baseline characteristics comparing hospitalizations without vs. with delayed large volume paracentesis (LVP).

	Total hospitalizations (N = 94,787)	No delay in LVP (N = 55,437)	Delay in LVP (N = 39,350)	P
Mean age, SD	57.7, 11.8	57.3, 11.7	58.3, 12	<0.001
% Female	34,003 (35.9)	19,762 (35.7)	14,241 (36.2)	0.088
% Caucasians	62,799 (68.1)	36,696 (68.1)	26,103 (68.2)
% AA	8,837 (9.4)	4,910 (9.1)	3,727 (9.7)	<0.001
% Hispanics	14,875 (16.1)	8,880 (16.5)	5,995 (15.7)
% Weekend admissions	21,258 (22.4)	10,420 (18.8)	10,838 (27.5)	<0.001
% Medicare	36,001 (38)	20,299 (36.7)	15,702 (40)
% Medicaid	28,443 (30.1)	17,037 (30.8)	11,406 (29)	<0.001
% Private	20,555 (21.7)	12,023 (21.7)	8,532 (21.7)
Obese (%)	6,475 (10.8)	3,750 (10.5)	2,725 (11.1)	0.024
Diabetes mellitus (%)	28,697 (30.3)	16,532 (29.8)	12,165 (30.9)	<0.001
% Rural	4,380 (4.6)	2,681 (4.8)	1,699 (4.3)
% Non-teaching urban	18,202 (19.2)	10,632 (19.2)	7,570 (19.2)	<0.007
% Teaching urban	72,205 (76.2)	42,124 (76)	30,081 (76.4)
% Small size hospital	15,671 (16.5)	9,245 (16.7)	6,426 (16.3)
% Moderate size hospital	24,337 (27.8)	15,376 (27.7)	10,961 (27.9)	0.368
% Large size hospitals	52,779 (55.7)	30,816 (55.6)	21,963 (55.8)
% ALD	64,165 (68.2)	38,448 (69.4)	26,209 (66.6)
% Chronic viral hepatitis	13,475 (16.4)	7,878 (14.2)	5,597 (14.2)	<0.001
% NASH	5,180 (5.5)	2,960 (5.3)	2,220 (5.6)

SD, standard deviation; AA, African Americans; ALD, alcohol-associated liver disease; NASH, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.