Table 1.
Clinical Characteristics at Time of Study Entry of Patients with Cirrhosis and Bleeding Esophageal Varices Randomized to Endoscopic Sclerotherapy or Emergency Portacaval Shunt
| Characteristic | EST (n = 106) |
EPCS (n = 105) |
p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCSD admission, n (%) | 0.24 | ||
| Direct to UCSD emergency room | 35 (33) | 26 (25) | |
| Transfer from outside hospital | 71 (67) | 79 (75) | |
| History | |||
| Age, y | |||
| Mean/median | 47.8/45 | 49.8/47 | 0.21 |
| Range | 23–75 | 28–82 | 0.61 |
| n ≥70 y | 7 | 9 | 0.61 |
| Male gender, n (%) | 81 (76) | 81 (78) | 0.87 |
| Race, n (%) | 0.09 | ||
| Caucasian | 53 (50) | 58 (55) | |
| Hispanic | 50 (47) | 39 (37) | |
| Other | 3 (3) | 8 (8) | |
| Cause of cirrhosis, n (%) | 0.73 | ||
| Alcoholism alone | 58 (55) | 54(51) | |
| Hepatitis B or C alone | 10 (9) | 8 (8) | |
| Alcoholism and hepatitis | 30 (28) | 33 (31) | |
| Other | 8 (8) | 10 (9) | |
| Bleeding episode, n (%) | 0.76 | ||
| First | 36 (34) | 41 (39) | |
| Second | 38 (36) | 32 (30) | |
| Third or more | 32 (31) | 32 (31) | |
| Chronic alcoholism, n (%) | 88 (83) | 87 (83) | 1.00 |
| Years of alcoholism, mean (range) | 22 (4–59) | 25 (7–54) | 0.56 |
| Recent alcohol ingestion ≤7d, n (%) | 55 (62) | 57 (66) | 0.99 |
| Hematemesis, n (%) | 103 (97) | 97 (92) | 0.13 |
| Hematochezia, n (%) | 88 (83) | 93 (89) | 0.32 |
| Past history, n (%) | |||
| Jaundice | 61 (58) | 58 (55) | 0.78 |
| Ascites | 70 (66) | 48 (46) | 0.004* |
| Portal-systemic encephalopathy | 20 (19) | 30 (29) | 0.11 |
| Delerium tremens in alcoholics | 23 (26) | 28 (31) | 0.43 |
| Other medical disorders | |||
| Narcotic addiction | 31 (29) | 26 (25) | 0.44 |
| Type 2 diabetes | 13 (12) | 24 (23) | 0.047* |
| Hypertension | 13 (12) | 16 (15) | 0.56 |
| Pulmonary disease | 12 (11) | 12 (11) | 1.0 |
| Coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation | 9 (8) | 8 (8) | 1.0 |
| Renal disease | 3 (3) | 10 (10) | 0.049* |
| Other | 22 (21) | 27 (26) | 0.42 |
| Physical examination, n (%) | |||
| Jaundice | 45 (42) | 38 (36) | 0.40 |
| Ascites | 65 (61) | 54 (51) | 0.17 |
| Portal-systemic encephalopathy | 19 (18) | 19 (18) | 1.0 |
| Severe muscle wasting (2+ or 3+ on 0–3+ scale) | 50 (47) | 67 (64) | 0.026* |
| Delerium tremens in alcoholics | 2 (2) | 2 (2) | 1.00 |
| PSE index – median (interquartile range) | 0 (0–0.15) | 0 (0–0.15) | 0.46 |
| Child’s risk class, n (%) | 0.71 | ||
| A (5 to 8 points) | 32 (30) | 26 (25) | |
| B (9 to 11 points) | 46 (43) | 49 (47) | |
| C (12 to 15 points) | 28 (26) | 30(29) | |
| Child’s risk class points, mean/median | 10.1/10 | 10.0/10 | 0.76 |
*
Statistically significant difference.
EPCS, emergency portacaval shunt; EST, endoscopic sclerotherapy; PSE, portal-systemic encephalopathy; UCSD, University of California, San Diego.