Factors Associated with Death and Respiratory Failure among Patients with Acute Liver Injury, Somdejphrajaotaksin Maharaj Hospital, 2020

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the association between mortality and respiratory failure, and risk factors among patients with acute liver injury in an internal medicine department. The research was conducted by using a cross-sectional study design. The participants were patients with acute liver injury admitted in the inpatient department of Somdejphrajaotaksin Maharaj Hospital between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2020. The data collected included patient’s medical history and laboratory results. The analysis used was descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as chi-square and multiplelogistic regression. The results showed that the number of total participants was 729. Among them, 129 (17.7%) patients developed respiratory failure and 120 died (16.5%). Patients with advanced age (over 60 years), acute liver failure, and those with a length of hospital stay of at least 5 days, showed a statistically significant association with respiratory failure. In addition, the elderly and patients who developed acute liver failure exhibited a positive correlation with death with statistical significance. Note that acute liver failure showed the greatest effect size with acute respiratory failure (ORadj = 9.2; 95%CI = 2.7-30.9) and death (ORadj = 3.9; 95%CI = 1.3-12.1), compared with other variables. Therefore, the patients with acute liver injury, more than 60 years old, acute liver failure, and those with a length of hospital stay of at least 5 days have a high risk for respiratory failure which should be closely monitored during treatment.