CONSERVATIVE ORAL THERAPY VERSUS RIFAXIMIN PLUS LACTOSE: WHICH IS A BETTER OPTION TO MANAGE RECURRENCE ONSET OF HE (HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY)

Objective: To have a comparison of the recurrence or frequency of HP (hepatic encephalopathy) with a liver cirrhosis patient having treatment with Rifaximin plus Lactulose as opposed to oral conventional treatment by Lactulose only.

Materials & Methods: This research started from January and ended in August 2017 at the Department of Medicine, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. In this research, a total number of 200 HE patients were considered and divided into two groups: a group of getting treatment patients and a placebo group. The recurrence or frequency of HE was evaluated amid these two groups.

Results:  A comparison of 200 HE patients was carried out. The mean of the patient age was (44.78 ± 11.87) years in which the group under treatment was of mean ages (44.33 ± 10.45) years and the placebo group mean ages were (43.33 ± 10.13) years. After comparison, the cases of the group under treatment were 22 (22%) and cases of the placebo group were 47 (47%). There were significantly higher (P = 0.000) HE recurrence in the placebo group as opposed to the group under treatment.

Conclusion: For decreasing the recurrence or frequency of HE the use of rifaximin plus lactulose is better than conventional treatment by lactulose only.

Keywords: Rifaximin, Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE), Oral, Recurrence and Lactulose.