Up-to-date diagnostic and treatment approaches to minimal hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis

Abstract

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the most common and dangerous complications of cirrhosis. HE is considered a predictor of death within the first year after onset in more than 60% of patients. Recently, studies have focused on minimal HE (MHE) which is characterized by medical, social, and clinical relevance. MHE patients are a risk group for cirrhosis complications and hospital admission. This demonstrates the need for early therapeutic and preventive measures for MHE. This paper provides information on current diagnostic and treatment tools for MHE in cirrhosis and illustrates the efficacy of various therapies on the outcomes and quality of life in these patients. The authors conclude that one should rely on studies establishing the efficacy of rifaximin-α to regress MHE, improve the quality of life and reduce the risks of complications and decompensation in cirrhosis compared to other medications. Meanwhile, further studies are needed to reveal favorable and unfavorable predictors of disease course and to optimize therapeutic and preventive measures in these patients. KEYWORDS: cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy, minimal hepatic encephalopathy, psychometric tests, lactulose, L-ornithine-L-aspartate, rifaximin-α FOR CITATION: Bakulin I.G., Ivanova K.N. Up-to-date diagnostic and treatment approaches to minimal hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2022;6(5):272–277 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2022-6-5-272-277