Analysis on clinical features of hepatic encephalopathy of 108 cases

Abstract

AIM: We reviewed and analysed clinical features of hepaticenc ephalopathy of 108 cases.

METHODS: One hundred and eight patients in this group were confirmed diagnosis as hepatic encephalopathy with 83 male, 25 female, age range of 16-81 years old and hepatocirrhosis course of 2-11 years. Of them 87 cases (80.6 %) were hepatocirrhosis resulted from hepatitis, 17 cases (15.7%) were alcoholic cirrhosis and 4 cases (3.7%) were congestive cirrhosis. 16 cases of all patients were performed splenectomy before. Of disease causes inducing hepatic encephalopathy infection was in the first place, accounting for 46.7%, hemorrhage of upper digestive tract was the second, accounting for 24.1% and the others were azotemia high-protein diet letting our ascites and so on.

RESULTS: This paper indicates that the mortality of hepatocirrhosis resulted from hepatitis is 94.3%, that of alcoholic cirrhosis is 35.3%, and after comparing the mortalities of the two groups and processing the data statistically, we find the difference is very significant, P < 0.01, which indic ates that because of different encephalopathy are different, so we should concentrate our efforts on treatment.

The main predisposing cause of hepatic encephalopathy in this group is infection, but data from home and abroad indicate that it is hemorrhage of upper digestive tract. We think that this can be related to the measures of lowering portal venous pressure, protecting gastric mucosa, supplementing Vitamin K at the early stage and increasing the concentration of plasma albumin and so on. The true cause remains to be studied further.

CONCLUSION: These is no specific treatments for hepatic encephalopathy so far and its mortality is very high, so the prevention is very important. It is the best way out to avoid all predisposing causes, keep close watch over patient's condition confirm diagnoses at the early stage and treat patients efficiently without delay.

Key Words: Hepatic encephalopathy/diagnosis, Hepatic encephalopathy/therapy, Liver cirrhosis/complications, Hepatitis/Complications