Hepatic involvement in children with acute bronchiolitis

Table 3 Comparison of patients with and without liver function test abnormalities

Variable		Alanine aminotransferase level (n = 161)		P value
		High (> 41 U/L), 14 (8.7)	Normal (≤ 41 U/L), 147 (91.3)
Sex	Female	9 (64.3)	61(41.5)	0.157a
	Male	5 (35.7)	86 (58.5)
Nationality	Bahraini	9 (64.3)	104 (70.7)	0.760a
	Non-Bahraini	5 (35.7)	43 (29.3)
Gestational age (n = 135)	Term	8 (57.1)	98 (66.7)	0.683
	Preterm	1 (7.1)	28 (19.0)
Age at presentation (mo), mean ± SD		10.1 ± 12.8	10.6 ± 17.3	0.535b
Age at the time of study (mo), mean ± SD		37.5 ± 13.2	37.8 ± 17.5	0.394b
Length of hospital stay (d), mean ± SD		18.0 ± 19.3	13.4 ± 41.1	0.025b
History of fever		9 (7.9)	105 (92.1)	0.552a
White blood cell count (× 109/L), mean ± SD		12.2 ± 7.0	10.6 ± 5.3	0.764b
Hemoglobin (g/dL), mean ± SD		11.6 ± 2.1	11.5 ± 2.4	0.796b
Platelet count (× 109/L), mean ± SD		335.4 ± 194.8	417.6 ± 178.5	0.109b
Total serum protein (g/L), mean ± SD		56.6 ± 7.3	57.9 ± 8.9	0.895b
Serum globulin (g/L), mean ± SD		16.71 ± 3.69	18.1 ± 11.2	0.801b
Serum albumin (g/L), mean ± SD		39.86 ± 5.89	41.63 ± 11.1	0.971b
Total bilirubin (µmol/L), mean ± SD		29.4 ± 41.2	38.11 ± 62.81	0.794b
Direct bilirubin (µmol/L), (n = 71), mean ± SD		24.1 ± 39.9	10.5 ± 5.7	0.722b
Indirect bilirubin (µmol/L), (n = 71), mean ± SD		22.5 ± 17.9	62.0 ± 75.1	0.184b
Alkaline phosphatase (U/L), mean ± SD		271.9 ± 217.2	239.9 ± 133.1	0.935b
Gamma-glutamyl transferase (U/L), (n = 145), mean ± SD		92.4 ± 88.2	60.6 ± 79.0	0.080b
Prothrombin time, (n = 46), mean ± SD		13.2 ± 1.6	13.8 ± 3.0	0.809b
INR, (n = 46), mean ± SD		1.1 ± 0.1	1.2 ± 0.3	0.831b
PTT, (n = 46), mean ± SD		25.5 ± 4.9	28.8 ± 10.4	0.579b
Fibrinogen, (n = 34), mean ± SD		326.4 ± 387.2	277.3 ± 166.4	0.581b
Thrombin time, (n = 33), mean ± SD		21.4 ± 7.3	16.9 ± 2.0	0.131b
Random blood glucose, (n = 52), mean ± SD		6.0 ± 1.0	6.0 ± 1.0	0.905b
Positive blood culture (n = 127)		2 (14.3)	10 (6.8)	0.278a
Positive urine culture (n = 88)		3 (21.4)	4 (2.7)	0.030a
Positive cerebrospinal fluid culture (n = 23)		0 (0.0)	1.0 (0.7)	1.000a
Positive RSV test (n = 159)		6 (42.9)	46 (31.3)	0.356a
Antibiotic use (n = 157)		11 (78.6)	115 (78.2)	1.000a
Complications		2 (14.3)	28 (19)	1.000a
Admission to the intensive care unit		1 (7.1)	10 (6.8)	1.000a
Mortality		1 (7.1)	8 (5.4)	0.569a

^aFisher’s exact test was used for categorical variables.

^bMann-Whitney U test was used for continuous variables.

Values are presented as n (%) or mean ± SD. Bold indicates a statistically significant difference with P < 0.05. SD: Standard deviation; INR: International normalized ratio; PTT: Partial thromboplastin time; RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus.