Baseline characteristics of patients according to the presence of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) at enrolment
| No ACLF (n=270) | ACLF (n=240) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 55±12 | 55±11 | 0.46 |
| Male sex | 173 (64) | 158 (34) | 0.68 |
| Aetiology of cirrhosis | |||
| Alcohol | 151 (58) | 141 (61) | 0.49 |
| Hepatitis C virus | 39 (15) | 28 (12) | 0.35 |
| Alcohol plus hepatitis C virus | 24 (9) | 22 (0.4) | 0.91 |
| Other causes | 45 (17) | 39 (17) | 0.90 |
| Previous decompensation(s) | |||
| Ascites | 161 (63) | 149 (66) | 0.49 |
| Encephalopathy | 79 (31) | 73 (33) | 0.62 |
| GI bleeding | 62 (24) | 52 (24) | 0.81 |
| Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis | 26 (10) | 24 (11) | 0.83 |
| Concomitant diseases | |||
| Arterial hypertension | 46 (17) | 58 (24) | 0.04 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 54 (20) | 54 (23) | 0.48 |
| Chronic renal failure | 14 (5) | 31 (13) | 0.002 |
| Cause(s) of admission | |||
| Ascites | 170 (64) | 181 (76) | 0.003 |
| Encephalopathy | 81 (30) | 109 (46) | 0.0003 |
| Bacterial infection | 59 (23) | 65 (29) | 0.13 |
| GI bleeding | 51 (19) | 28 (12) | 0.02 |
| Other | 94 (35) | 83 (35) | 0.99 |
| Exploratory data | |||
| Mean arterial pressure (mm Hg) | 84±11 | 79±13 | <0.0001 |
| Heart rate (beats/min) | 84±16 | 83±18 | 0.63 |
| Laboratory data | |||
| White blood cells (×109/L) | 7.3±4.4 | 10.1±6.7 | <0.0001 |
| Platelet count (×109/L) | 104±70 | 101±73 | 0.35 |
| Serum bilirubin (mg/dL) | 5.6±6.3 | 11±11 | <0.0001 |
| Serum albumin (g/dL) | 2.7±0.6 | 2.8±0.6 | 0.14 |
| International normalised ratio | 1.7±0.6 | 2.1±0.9 | <0.0001 |
| Plasma C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 33±39 | 45±0.6 | 0.0009 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.0±0.4 | 2.4±1.6 | <0.0001 |
| Serum sodium (mmol/L) | 135±6 | 134±6 | 0.004 |
| Child–Pugh score | 10±2 | 11±2 | <0.0001 |
| MELD | 18±6 | 27±7 | <0.0001 |
Data are expressed as mean±SD or number of patients (percentage).
MELD, model for end-stage liver disease.