[Clinical characteristics and prognostic criteria in alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic hepatitis with cirrhosis].

A comparative study of clinical and biological features and of the immediate prognosis was made in 46 patients with alcoholic hepatitis and 19 patients with alcoholic hepatitis with liver cirrhosis. The presence of cirrhosis has different clinical manifestations and a more intense alteration of albumin, prothrombin, total bilirubin and immunoglobulins (p less than 0.01). The development of ascites, encephalopathy and hepatorenal syndrome (p less than 0.05) and albumin, prothrombin and total bilirubin values at admission (p less than 0.01) were the best parameters to identify the patients with a poorer prognosis. There were no significant differences between both groups in mortality, frequency of encephalopathy or renal failure.