Prognosis ‘poor’ in hepatic encephalopathy despite rifaximin therapy
Australian researchers emphasise the need to consider liver transplant in these patients
UPDATED: 11 June
Patients with liver cirrhosis who are admitted for hepatic encephalopathy fare poorly, with the majority dying within a year, Australian researchers say.
In one of the largest studies to track patient outcomes after treatment with rifaximin for refractory hepatic encephalopathy they conclude that, wherever possible, patients should be promptly considered for liver transplant.
Researchers from Melbourne did a retrospective study of charts for 188 patients with hepatic encephalopathy (median age 57, 71% male) who were admitted to three tertiary centres, including a transplant centre, between 2012 and 2016.
