Sexual difference and prognostic factors were examined in 22 patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis sampled by multi-institutional questionnaire survey. The male and female ratio was 16: 6 and the surviving rate was 45%. There was not a sexual difference in daily alcoholic consumption but duration of drinking was 29±13 years in the male patients and 14±11 years in the female ones, respectively, and the latter was significantly shorter than the former. In the male patients, the incidence of complication of renal failure at the time of hospitalization was high at 44%. In the female patients, leukocytosis was marked as well as erythrocytopenia. Thrombocytosis was found in the male patients.
Examination of prognostic factors revealed that presence of renal failure, low albumin level and erythrocytopenia at the time of hospitalization would result in significantly poor prognosis. Complication of hepatic encephalopathy, infection (particularly pneumonia), renal failure and endotoxiemia during the course also ended in significantly poor prognosis.
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