Lessons from “real life experience” of rifaximin use in the management of recurrent hepatic encephalopathy

Table 2 Predictive factors of response to treatment in the entire cohort (n = 62)

Parameter	Non-responder (n = 26)	Responder (n = 36)	P value
Indication, n (%)
Prevention of recurrent HE episodes/prevention of recurrent acute exacerbations on persistent HE	13 (50)/13 (50)	16 (45)/20 (55)	0.66
Sex (M/F), n (%)	21 (81)/5 (19)	24 (67)/12 (33)	0.22
TIPS, n (%)	8 (31)	17 (47)	0.19
Cirrhosis etiology, n (%)
Alcohol	20 (77)	21 (58)	0.13
Hepatitis-B or C virus	7 (27)	9 (25)	0.86
Lactulose therapy (period 1)
Patients treated, n (%)	22 (85)	31 (86)	1.0
Mean dose, mean ± SD (g)	35 ± 17	39 ± 19	0.48
Age	63 ± 10	62 ± 10	0.89
HE (period 1)
HE events, mean ± SD	1.41 ± 1.0	1.62 ± 1.16	0.23
HE-related hospitalizations, mean ± SD	1.3 ± 1.0	1.40 ± 0.95	0.16
Length of HE-related hospitalization, mean ± SD	14 ± 13	17 ± 16	0.51
Repeated HE-related hospitalizations (> 1), n (%)	16 (62)	26 (72)	0.37
Infectious events	0.31 ± 0.44	0.35 ± 0.47	0.92
Biochemical
INR	1.7 ± 0.8	1.6 ± 0.4	0.71
Serum albumin (g/L)	28 ± 5	29 ± 5	0.63
Serum bilirubin (μmol/L)	63 ± 99	35 ± 20	0.11
Serum sodium (mmol/L)	134 ± 7	135 ± 5	0.62
Serum creatinine (μmol/L)	97 ± 50	107 ± 111	0.65
AST (UI/L)	59 ± 31	80 ± 135	0.45
ALT (UI/L)	33 ± 19	44 ± 30	0.11
Hemoglobin (g/dL)	10.4 ± 1.9	10.5 ± 1.7	0.79
CRP (mg/L)	13 ± 19	11 ± 11	0.67
Scores
Child Pugh score	9 ± 2	9 ± 2	1.0
MELD score	16 ± 6	17 ± 6	0.53

HE: Hepatic encephalopathy; TIPS: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt; INR: International normalized ratio; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; CRP: C-reactive protein; MELD: Model for end-stage liver disease.