Admission Serum Bicarbonate Predicts Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Hospitalized Cirrhotic Patients

Table 3

Univariable association of admission SB with cirrhosis complications during hospitalization.

Variable	AKI/HRS^†	PSE^†	GIB^†	Ascites^†	SBP^†
SB 22–25	1	1	1	1	1
SB < 14	13.22 (7.59–23.08)	3.75 (1.9–7.38)	2.17 (1.15–4.1)	2.06 (1.18–3.59)	4.96 (2.17–11.33)
SB 14–17	6.32 (4.64–8.60)	2.77 (1.76–4.37)	1.67 (1.11–2.5)	2.09 (1.5–2.9)	5.69 (3.35–9.65)
SB 18–21	2.36 (1.87–2.98)	1.29 (0.87–1.91)	1 (0.72–1.37)	1.52 (1.19–1.93)	2.44 (1.5–3.95)
SB 26–29	0.77 (0.57–1.05)	0.9 (0.57–1.44)	0.42 (0.27–0.66)	0.86 (0.65–1.16)	0.41 (0.17–1.0)
SB 30–33	0.87 (0.48–1.57)	1.67 (0.8–3.47)	0.56 (0.24–1.32)	0.69 (0.37–1.3)	0.73 (0.17–3.12)
SB >33	1.58 (0.71–3.54)	2.18 (0.74–6.37)	—	1.51 (0.67–3.38)	4.96 (2.17–11.33)
Age^§	1.01 (1.004–1.02)	1.01 (0.99–1.02)	0.99 (0.98–0.999)	0.97 (0.96–0.98)	0.99 (0.98–1.001)
Male vs female	1.16 (0.97–1.40)	1.10 (0.79–1.44)	0.92 (0.71–1.20)	1.75 (1.42–2.16)	1.02 (0.75–1.40)
MELD-Na^§	1.15 (1.13–1.16)	1.04 (1.03–1.06)	1.01 (0.99–1.02)	1.10 (1.08–1.11)	1.14 (1.12–1.17)
Albumin^§	0.48 (0.43–0.55)	0.49 (0.4–0.6)	0.69 (0.58–0.83)	0.37 (0.32–0.42)	0.45 (0.35–0.59)

Statistically significant ORs are in bold. Reference SB group against which other SB categories were compared. ^†Unadjusted ORs (95% CI) calculated using univariable logistic regression analysis. ^§Continuous variables: age (years), MELD-Na score, and albumin (g/dL). SB, serum bicarbonate; AKI/HRS, acute kidney injury or hepatorenal syndrome; PSE, portosystemic encephalopathy; GIB, gastrointestinal bleed; SBP, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis; MELD-Na, Model of End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.