Table 3.
Baseline characteristics stratified by BUN/ALB ratio
| Characteristic | BUN/ALB ratio ≥ 0.249 (59) | BUN/ALB ratio < 0.249 (260) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitalization mortality (%) | 30.5 | 1.9 | < 0.001 |
| Age, years | 80.5 ± 8.3 | 74.4 ± 9.6 | < 0.001 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 20.46 ± 3.83 | 21.10 ± 3.91 | 0.257 |
| Sex, n (%) | 0.518 | ||
| Male | 50 (84.7) | 211 (81.2) | |
| Female | 9 (15.3) | 49 (18.8) | |
| Smoking status, n (%) | 0.469 | ||
| Never smoked | 10 (16.9) | 55 (21.2) | |
| Current smoker/Ever smoked | 49 (83.1) | 205 (78.8) | |
| Hospital stay, days | 8.2 ± 4.2 | 7.9 ± 2.8 | 0.472 |
| Exacerbations during preceding year, n (%) | 27 (45.8) | 115 (44.2) | 0.831 |
| GOLD stage, n (%) | 0.485 | ||
| I | 3 (5.0) | 18 (6.9) | |
| II | 27 (45.8) | 94 (36.2) | |
| III | 22 (37.3) | 102 (39.2) | |
| IV | 7 (11.9) | 46 (17.7) | |
| CHF, n (%) | 26 (44.1) | 71 (27.3) | 0.012 |
| RD, n (%) | 37 (62.7) | 114 (43.8) | 0.009 |
| Bronchiectasis, n (%) | 16 (27.1) | 79 (30.4) | 0.620 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 6 (10.2) | 26 (10.0) | 0.969 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 40 (67.8) | 136 (52.3) | 0.031 |
| CHD, n (%) | 22 (37.3) | 62 (23.8) | 0.034 |
| Neutrophil count, × 109/L | 10.27 (7.21–14.04) | 6.58 (4.58–9.04) | 0.001 |
| Lymphocyte count, × 109/L | 0.85 (0.58–1.21) | 1.22 (0.86–1.72) | < 0.001 |
| PH | 7.38 ± 0.09 | 7.40 ± 0.05 | 0.239 |
| PaO2, mmHg | 90.7 ± 29.0 | 89.4 ± 25.2 | 0.732 |
| PaCO2, mmHg | 44.9 ± 14.3 | 45.2 ± 11.0 | 0.870 |
| BUN, mmol/L | 10.86 (7.10–12.25) | 5.35 (4.14–7.40) | < 0.001 |
| ALB, g/L | 32.69 ± 4.36 | 36.74 ± 4.28 | < 0.001 |
Variables are expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD), medians (interquartile range, IQR) or percentages.
CHF congestive heart failure, RD renal dysfunction, CHD coronary heart disease, PaO2 arterial oxygen tension, PaCO2 arterial carbon dioxide tension, BUN blood urea nitrogen, ALB albumin