Patient selection: hospitalized patient with alcoholic cirrhosis and ascites
Complications:
(1) esophageal variceal bleeding
(2) spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
(3) sepsis
(4) hyponatremia
(5) hepatorenal syndrome
Prognostic factors affecting in-hospital mortality:
(1) intermediate or high risk by Child-Pugh grade (Grade B or C)
(2) elevated serum urea (> 42 mg/dL, odds ratio 14)
(3) elevated serum creatinine (> 1.28 mg/dL, odds ratio 2), indicative of acute renal failure (hepatorenal)
(4) elevated prothrombin time (> 17 seconds, normal control unspecified, odds ratio 2)
where:
• Ascites and prolonged prothrombin time are both used to derive the Child-Pugh grade.
While variceal bleeding can result in an elevated serum urea, it was not associated with excess mortality by itself.
