Table 1 Patient sample characteristics
From: Health-related quality of life in outpatients with chronic liver disease: a cross-sectional study
|  | All patients (N = 254) | MELD score* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | Class I (N = 178) n (%) | Class II (N = 76) n (%) | Class III (N = 6) n (%) | |
Age mean (SD), range | 62.84 (11.75) (33–86) | 62.28 (11.58) (34–86) | 63.51 (12.02) (33–86) | 70.17 (12.07) (50–82) |
Females | 107 (42.1) | 81 (47.1) | 24 (31.6) | 2 (33.3) |
Marital status (N = 249) |  |  |  |  |
Married | 165 (65.0) | 108 (64.3) | 53 (69.7) | 4 (66.7) |
Divorced | 34 (13.4) | 21 (12.5) | 12 (15.8) | 1(16.7) |
Widowed | 29 (11.4) | 20 (11.9) | 8 (10.5) | 1 (16.7) |
Unmarried | 21 (8.3) | 18 (10.7) | 3 (3.9) | 0 |
Level of education (N = 249) |  |  |  |  |
Primary school | 49 (19.7) | 31 (18.6) | 17 (22.4) | 1 (16.7) |
Secondary school | 85 (33.5) | 52 (31.1) | 30 (39.5) | 3 (50.0) |
High school | 87 (34.3) | 62 (37.1) | 23 (30.3) | 2 (33.3) |
University | 28 (11.0) | 22 (13.2) | 6 (7.9) | 0 |
Nationality | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Italian | 232 (91.3) | 157 (91.3) | 69 (90.8) | 6 (100.0) |
Other | 22 (8.7) | 15 (8.7) | 7 (9.2) | 0 |
Type of CLD | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Compensated cirrhosis | 102 (40.2) | 58 (33.7) | 40 (52.6) | 4 (66.7) |
Chronic hepatitis B, C, D, E virus infection | 102 (40.2) | 79 (45.9) | 22 (28.9) | 1 (16.7) |
Autoimmune hepatitis Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) | 24 (9.4) | 20 (11.6) | 4 (5.3) | 0 |
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) | 14 (5.5) | 10 (5.8) | 4 (5.3) | 0 |
Decompensated cirrhosis | 12 (2.9) | 5 (7.9) | 6 (16.7) | 1 (0.4) |
Duration of CLD | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 ≥ 5 years | 176 (69.3) | 124 (72.1) | 48 (63.2) | 4 (66.7) |
Hospital stay during the last 12 months (days), mean (SD) (N = 68) | 13.44 (22.46) | 13.09 (28.72) | 14.15 (15.68) | 7.00 (0.00) |
Comorbidity Index | Â | Â | Â | Â |
0 | 115 (45.3) | Â | Â | Â |
1 | 40 (15.7) | 28 (32.9) | 11 (22.4) | 1 (16.7) |
2 | 11 (4.3) | 7 (8.2) | 2 (4.1) | 2 (33.3) |
3 | 52 (20.5) | 27 (31.8) | 24 (49.0) | 1 (16.7) |
4 | 14 (5.5) | 8 (9.4) | 5 (10.2) | 1 (16.7) |
5 | 10 (3.9) | 5 (5.9) | 4 (8.2) | 1 (16.7) |
6 | 6 (2.4) | 4 (4.7) | 2 (4.1) | 0 |
7 | 5 (2.0) | 5 (5.9) | 0 | 0 |
8 | 1 (0.4) | 0 | 1 (2.0) | 0 |
Previous variceal sclerosis | 68 (26.8) | 31 (18.0) | 35 (46.1) | 2 (33.3) |
Portacaval shunt or TIPS | 11 (4.3) | 6 (3.5) | 5 (6.6) | 0 |
Clinically detectable ascites (N = 247) |  |  |  |  |
Absent | 192 (75.6) | 146 (88.0) | 43 (57.3) | 3 (50.0) |
Mild-to-moderate | 7 (2.8) | 2 (1.2) | 5 (6.7) | 0 |
Severe | 8 (3.1) | 3 (1.8) | 5 (6.7) | 0 |
Under loop-diuretic treatment | 37 (14.6) | 13 (7.8) | 22 (29.3) | 2 (33.3) |
Under chronic albumin infusion | 3 (1.2) | 2 (1.2) | 0 | 0 |
Clinically detectable encephalopathy (West-Haven criteria)a | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Grade I | 13 (5.1) | 10 (2.3) | 8 (10.5) | 1 (16.7) |
None | 241 (94.9) | 168 (97.7) | 68 (89.5) | 5 (83.3) |
CLD signs and symptoms (last month) | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Muscle cramps | 79 (31.1) | 50 (29.1) | 27 (35.5) | 2 (33.3) |
Pruritus | 60 (23.6) | 31 (18.0) | 27 (35.5) | 2 (33.3) |
Weakness and fatigue | 47 (18.5) | 32 (18.6) | 15 (19.7) | 0 |
Splenomegaly | 46 (18.1) | Â | Â | Â |
Arthralgia | 42 (16.5) | 29 (16.9) | 11 (15.5) | 2 (33.3) |
General malaise | 42 (16.5) | 29 (16.9) | 13 (17.1) | 0 |
Fluid retention | 29 (11.4) | 17 (9.9) | 11 (14.5) | 1 (16.7) |
Low grade fever | 9 (3.5) | 5 (2.9) | 3 (3.9) | 1 (16.7) |
Jaundice | 7 (2.8) | 1 (0.6) | 4 (5.3) | 2 (33.3) |
Anorexia | 4 (1.6) | 3 (1.7) | 1 (1.3) | 0 |