Table 1.
Baseline characteristics at admission according to the initial ammonia level
| Characteristic | Overall | Normal ammonia | High ammonia | p valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 972 (100) | 585 (60.2) | 387 (39.8) | |
| Age, yr | 68.0 (55.0–77.8) | 69.0 (57.0–78.0) | 66.0 (54.0–76.0) | 0.003 |
| Male sex | 511 (52.6) | 280 (47.9) | 231 (59.7) | < 0.001 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.1 (20.6–25.6) | 23.1 (20.7–25.5) | 23.1 (20.2–25.7) | 0.790 |
| Diabetes | 286 (29.4) | 168 (28.7) | 118 (30.5) | 0.566 |
| Alcohol > 40 g/day | 44 (4.5) | 24 (4.1) | 20 (5.2) | 0.435 |
| CHF | 42 (4.3) | 24 (4.1) | 18 (4.7) | 0.748 |
| ESRD | 33 (3.4) | 19 (3.2) | 14 (3.6) | 0.857 |
| Extrahepatic malignancy | 52 (5.3) | 28 (4.8) | 24 (6.2) | 0.383 |
| Endotracheal intubation | 504 (51.9) | 253 (43.2) | 251 (51.9) | < 0.001 |
| Acute brain failure | 645 (66.4) | 343 (58.6) | 302 (78.0) | < 0.001 |
| Serum ammonia, μg/dL | 72.0 (54.0–101.0) | 58.0 (46.0–68.0) | 111.0 (92.0–160.0) | < 0.001 |
| WBC, 10 × 109/L | 12.0 (7.9–16.5) | 11.3 (7.8–15.3) | 13.1 (8.0–18.1) | 0.001 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | 12.4 (10.6–13.9) | 12.5 (10.7–13.8) | 12.3 (10.4–14.1) | 0.993 |
| Platelet, × 109/L | 222.0 (168.0–275.7) | 222.0 (172.0–269.0) | 223.0 (160.0–286.0) | 0.753 |
| BUN, mg/dL | 19.3 (13.6–30.9) | 17.9 (13.9–28.7) | 21.1 (14.2–38.4) | < 0.001 |
| Creatinine, mg/dL | 0.93 (0.65–1.48) | 0.86 (0.65–1.33) | 1.03 (0.67–1.80) | 0.001 |
| Bilirubin, mg/dL | 0.68 (0.50–0.93) | 0.68 (0.51–0.91) | 0.68 (0.48–1.00) | 0.962 |
| Albumin, g/dL | 3.6 (2.9–4.1) | 3.8 (3.1–4.2) | 3.3 (2.8–3.9) | < 0.001 |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dL | 153.0 (116.0–189.0) | 159.0 (123.0–196.5) | 145.0 (112.0–179.0) | < 0.001 |
| PT-INR | 1.07 (0.99–1.25) | 1.04 (0.98–1.16) | 1.15 (1.03–1.37) | < 0.001 |
Values are presented as number (%) or median (interquartile range).
BMI, body mass index; CHF, congestive heart failure; ESRD, end-stage renal disease; WBC, white blood cell; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; PT-INR, prothrombin time-international normalized ratio.
a
Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test.