Management practices of hepatitis C virus infected alcoholic hepatitis patients: A survey of physicians

Table 1 Respondent variables and responses on each question n (%)

Question	n (%)	DNK	P value
Age (yr)			0.190
< 35	85 (21)
35-44	114 (27)
45-54	112 (27)
55-64	105 (25)
Specialty			0.028
Gastroenterology	232 (56)
Hepatology	184 (44)
Patients (n per year)		23 (5)	< 0.001
< 10	141 (34)
11-20	160 (38)
≥ 20	92 (23)
Percent admitted to hospital		39 (9)	< 0.001
< 25%	46 (12)
26%-50%	74 (18)
51%-75%	94 (23)
>75%	163 (38)
Of admitted, percent through ER		44 (12)	< 0.001
< 50%	81 (19)
51%-75%	69 (16)
> 75%	222 (53)
Percent needing liver biopsy for diagnosis		48 (12)	< 0.001
< 25%	318 (76)
26%-50%	29 (7)
> 50%	21 (5)
Test AAH patients for HCV		53 (13)	< 0.001
Yes	341 (82)
No	22 (5)
Percent positive for HCV		58 (14)	0.015
< 20%	156 (37)
≥ 20%	202 (49)
Treatment for AH			< 0.001
Often	283 (68)
Rarely	114 (27)
Never	19 (5)
Drug preference for treatment			< 0.001
Corticosteroids	197 (47)
Pentoxifylline	150 (37)
Combination	60 (14)
No preference	9 (2)
What makes you choose Pentoxifylline			> 0.05
Infection or sepsis	300 (72)
GI bleeding	161
Renal failure	125
Hepatitis B	139
Hepatitis C	94 (23)
Change in treatment policy with HCV		84 (20)	< 0.001
Yes	83 (20)
No	249 (60)
Treatment preference with concurrent HCV		79 (19)	< 0.001
Corticosteroids	14 (3)
Pentoxifylline	114 (27)
Either	21 (5)
Same as without HCV	180 (44)
No treatment	8 (2)
Does HCV alter outcome of AAH		80 (19)	0.510
No	174 (42)
Worse	161 (39)
Better	1 (0.2)
Does HCV affect treatment response with CS		87 (21)	< 0.001
No	262 (63)
Worse	65 (16)
Better	2 (0.4)
Does HCV affect treatment response with PTX		90 (22)	< 0.001
No	297 (71)
Worse	3 (0.7)
Better	26 (6)

ER: Emergency room; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; AH: Alcoholic hepatitis; CS: Corticosteroids; GI: Gastrointestinal; PTX: Pentraxin; AAH: Acute alcoholic hepatitis.