Table 3 Demographic and clinical characteristics in patients with cirrhosis due to alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis C, and cholestatic liver disease

Age

60 (8) *

54 (7)

54 (14)

Female/Male

12/43 (22%/78%)

9/23 (28%/72%)

9/20 (31%/69%)

Outpatients/inpatients

42/13 (76%/24%)

27/5 (84%/16%)

25/4 (86%/14%)

Previous variceal bleeding

15 (27%)

7 (22%)

8 (28%)

Esophageal and/or fundic varices

37 (67%)

21 (66%)

24 (83%)

Ascites

31 (56%)*

10 (31%)

9 (31%)

Hepatocellular carcinoma

6 (11%)

9 (28%)*

1 (3.4%)

Number connection test A

   Mean (SD) (sec)

68 (51)

52 (33)

50 (44)

   Above 3 SD^a

10 (18%)

2 (6%)

3 (10%)

Number Connection test B

   Mean (SD) (sec)

165 (87)

141 (83)

118 (69)

   Above 3 SD^a

13 (24%)

5 (16%)

4 (14%)

Overt hepatic encephalopathy

15 (27%)

6 (19%)

4 (14%)

(West-Haven)^b

   Grade I

14 (25.5%)

6 (19%)

3 (10.5%)

   Grade II

1 (2%)

0

1 (3.5%)

Minimal hepatic

4 (7%)

2 (6%)

2 (7%)

encephalopathy^c

19 (34%)

8 (25%)

6 (21%)

Hepatic encephalopathy

(minimal or overt)

Fasting plasma ammonium ion (μmol/l)

50 (26)

51 (35)

52 (21)

MELD score

14.9 (7.2)

12.6 (5)

14.3 (5.4)

Child-Pugh score

9 (2.6)

8.2 (2.2)

8.8 (2)

Diabetes mellitus

20 (36%)

11 (34%)

3 (10%)*