Table 1.
Baseline characteristics in patients stratified by hematocrit status during first 24 h of general ward admission
| Parameters | Group 1 (n = 352) | Group 2 (n = 114) | Group 3 (n = 162) | P value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years† | 46 (40, 53) | 44 (35, 51) | 43 (36, 49) | 0.020‡ |
| Gender, male, % | 186 (52.8) | 104 (91.2) | 133 (82.1) | 0.032§ |
| Body mass index, kg/m2, † | 24.4 (22.3, 27.0) | 26.1 (24.0, 28.6) | 26.0 (23.8, 28.0) | <0.001‡ |
| Charlson comorbidity index† | 1 (0, 2) | 2 (0, 2) | 1 (0, 2) | 0.108 |
| Etiology | ||||
| Biliary | 90 (25.6) | 25 (21.9) | 31 (19.1) | <0.001¶ |
| Hypertriglyceridaemia | 131 (37.2) | 58 (50.9) | 62 (38.3) | 0.038†† |
| Heavy alcohol use | 26 (7.4) | 7 (6.1) | 16 (9.9) | <0.001‡‡ |
| Others | 105 (29.8) | 24 (21.1) | 53 (32.7) | <0.001‡‡ |
| Time of ED to ward admission, hours† | 6.5 (5.5, 8.0) | 7.0 (5.5, 8.5) | 6.0 (5.0, 9.0) | 0.326 |
| SIRS† | 2 (1, 2) | 1 (1, 3) | 2 (1, 3) | <0.001§§ |
| Glasgow† | 1 (0, 2) | 1 (0, 2) | 2 (1, 3) | <0.001§§ |
| APACHE II† | 4 (2, 6) | 4 (2, 6) | 6 (3, 8) | <0.001§§ |
| SOFA† | 0 (0, 1) | 0 (0, 1) | 0 (0, 2) | 0.001§§ |
Indicates χ 2 (or Fisher's exact test) for qualitive data and Kruskal–Wallis H test for quantitative data.
Values are median (IQR).
P < 0.05, Group 1 versus Group 2 or Group 3.
P < 0.05, between any two groups.
P < 0.05, Group1 versus Group 2.
P < 0.05, Group 2 versus Group 1 or Group 3.
P < 0.05, Group 2 versus Group 3.
P < 0.05, Group 3 versus Group 1 or Group 2.
Group 1: hematocrit <44% on admission and < 44% at 24 h; Group 2: hematocrit increased and > 44% at 24 h; Group 3: hematocrit >44% on admission and decreased thereafter during first 24 h.
APACHE II, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II; ED, emergency department; SIRS, systemic inflammatory response syndrome; SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment.