Table 2.
Study population characteristics at initial presentation, including clinical features, laboratory values, time of presentation, and outcome variables (univariate analysis)
| Population characteristics | Total population (N=468) | Patients who had normal initial venous lactatea (n=303, 64.7%) | Patients who had elevated initial venous lactateb (n=165, 35.3%) | p-valuec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syncope, n (%) | 11 (2.3) | 6 (1.9) | 5 (3.0) | 0.53 |
| Bright red blood per rectum, n (%) | 73 (15.6) | 55 (18.1) | 18 (10.9) | 0.04 |
| Hematemesis, n (%) | 82 (17.5) | 40 (13.2) | 42 (25.4) | 0.001 |
| Abdominal pain, n (%) | 128 (27.3) | 101 (33.3) | 27 (16.3) | <0.001 |
| Altered mental status, n (%) | 13 (2.8) | 4 (1.3) | 9 (5.4) | 0.01 |
| Ascites, n (%) | 41 (8.7) | 16 (5.3) | 25 (15.1) | <0.001 |
| Heart rate, median (IQR), per minute | 76 (67–86) | 75 (67–85) | 78 (68–90) | 0.09 |
| Systolic blood pressure, median (IQR), mmHg | 122 (110–137) | 122 (110–138) | 121 (109–135) | 0.39 |
| Hemoglobin, median (IQR), g/dL | 11.3 (8.8–13.6) | 11.6 (9.1–13.8) | 10.6 (8.3–13.1) | 0.02 |
| Platelet count, median (IQR), ×109/L | 215 (157–293) | 225 (168–299) | 188 (126–287) | 0.01 |
| INR, median (IQR) | 1.1 (1–1.5) | 1.1 (1.0–1.3) | 1.2 (1.1–1.7) | <0.001 |
| Creatinine, median (IQR), mg/dL | 0.9 (0.8–1.3) | 0.9 (0.8–1.2) | 1.0 (0.8–1.5) | 0.003 |
| Presentation during daytime (7 am–7 pm), n (%) | 334 (71.4) | 211 (69.6) | 123 (74.5) | 0.26 |
| ICU admission, n (%) | 128 (27.3) | 59 (19.5) | 69 (41.8) | <0.001 |
| Endoscopy, n (%) | 167 (35.7) | 87 (28.7) | 80 (48.5) | <0.001 |
| Medical therapy, n (%) | 366 (78.2) | 220 (72.6) | 146 (88.5) | <0.001 |
| PRBC transfusion, n (%) | 171 (36.5) | 90 (29.7) | 81 (49.1) | <0.001 |
| Length of hospital stay, median (IQR), days | 3 (2–6) | 3 (1–5) | 4 (2–8) | <0.001 |
Notes:
a
Normal venous lactate range 0.5–2.0 mmol/L.
b
Elevated venous lactate >2.0 mmol/L.
c
p-values cited compare patients with normal and elevated venous lactate on presentation. Bold values signify statistically significant p-values.
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; INR, international normalized ratio; ICU, intensive care unit; PRBC, packed red blood cell.