Table I.
Baseline characteristics of 198 patients
| Variables | No. pts. with available data | Mean ± SD or Frequency (percentage) | Median (range) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (male/female), n (%) | 198 | 128 (64.65)/70 (35.35) | |
| Age [years] | 198 | 56.95 ±11.41 | 56.38 (26.76–88.10) |
| Etiology of liver diseases, n (%): | |||
| Hepatitis B virus infection | 198 | 64 (32.30) | |
| Hepatitis C virus infection | 198 | 18 (9.09) | |
| Alcohol abuse | 198 | 79 (39.90) | |
| Drug-induced liver injury | 198 | 10 (5.05) | |
| Autoimmune liver disease | 198 | 9 (4.55) | |
| Previous gastrointestinal bleeding, n (%) | 198 | 106 (53.54) | |
| Hepatic encephalopathy at admission, n (%) | 198 | 16 (8.08) | |
| Gastrointestinal bleeding at admission, n (%) | 198 | 106 (53.54) | |
| Jaundice at admission, n (%) | 198 | 36 (18.18) | |
| Ascites at admission (no/mild/moderate-severe), n (%) | 198 | 80 (40.40)/39 (19.70)/79 (39.90) | |
| Spider nevus of chest/abdominal wall, n (%): | 198 | 93 (46.97) | |
| Number (1–2/3–4/≥ 5) | 93 | 46 (49.46)/20 (21.51)/27 (29.03) | |
| Location (chest alone/abdomen alone/both chest and abdomen) | 93 | 91 (97.85)/0 (0.00)/2 (2.15) | |
| Subcutaneous collateral vessel of chest/abdominal wall, n (%): | 198 | 59 (29.80) | |
| Location (chest alone/abdomen alone/both chest and abdomen) | 59 | 10 (16.95)/33 (55.93)/16 (27.12) | |
| Laboratory tests: | |||
| Red blood cells [× 1012/l] | 197 | 3.14 ±0.83 | 3.04 (1.42–5.64) |
| Hemoglobin [g/l] | 197 | 92.18 ±27.71 | 91.00 (37.00–170.00) |
| White blood cells [× 109/l] | 197 | 5.14 ±3.39 | 4.30 (1.10–23.10) |
| Platelets [× 109/l] | 197 | 91.94 ±59.00 | 75.00 (11.00–346.00) |
| Alanine aminotransferase [U/l] | 195 | 41.62 ±60.47 | 25.52 (4.61–590.00) |
| Aspartate aminotransferase [U/l] | 195 | 62.34 ±80.89 | 37.66 (6.97–719.84) |
| Alkaline phosphatase [U/l] | 195 | 126.33 ±105.26 | 95.00 (33.00–850.45) |
| γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase [U/l] | 195 | 115.38 ±176.31 | 46.16 (9.00–981.00) |
| Total bilirubin [µmol/l] | 195 | 37.06 ±46.01 | 23.40 (6.40–319.90) |
| Prothrombin time [s] | 193 | 16.55 ±3.31 | 15.70 (11.30–31.60) |
| International normalized ratio | 191 | 1.38 ±0.38 | 1.29 (0.83–3.03) |
| Activated partial thromboplastin time [s] | 192 | 40.54 ±5.99 | 39.65 (29.20–57.80) |
| Albumin [g/l] | 194 | 30.35 ±6.84 | 29.70 (16.10–48.10) |
| Serum sodium [mmol/l] | 196 | 138.85 ±3.91 | 138.40 (120.70–151.60) |
| Serum potassium [mmol/l] | 196 | 3.91 ±0.46 | 3.87 (2.48–5.60) |
| Blood urea nitrogen [mmol/l] | 194 | 7.57 ±5.88 | 5.72 (1.71–47.21) |
| Serum creatinine [µmol/l] | 194 | 78.44 ±65.04 | 65.41 (32.14–533.70) |
| Child-Pugh score | 189 | 7.89 ±2.09 | 8.00 (5.00–14.00) |
| Child-Pugh class A/B/C, n (%) | 189 | 55 (29.10)/97 (51.32)/37 (19.58) | |
| MELD score | 187 | 8.64 ±6.02 | 7.70 (–2.38–28.02) |
| In-hospital death, n (%) | 198 | 4 (2.02) | |
| Overall death, n (%) | 198 | 28 (14.14) |
SD – standard deviation, MELD – model for end-stage liver disease.