Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2020 May;11(5):e00181.
doi: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000181.

Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Diagnosis for the Individual but an Experience for the Household

Jeremy Louissaint  1 , Elliot B Tapper  1   2
Affiliations
Editorial

Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Diagnosis for the Individual but an Experience for the Household

Jeremy Louissaint et al. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2020 May.

Abstract

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common complication of cirrhosis that results in unpredictable neuropsychiatric symptoms and increases the risk of death and disability. In the current issue of Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, Fabrellas et al. report on a qualitative study that assesses the psychological impact of HE on both patients and their informal caregivers. Both patients and caregivers report diminished quality of life driven by disruptive anxiety and feelings of fear and sorrow. There is a need to optimize therapy for encephalopathy and to address the shared psychological impact of HE experienced by both patients and caregivers.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Guarantor of the article: Elliot B. Tapper, MD.

Specific author contributions: J.L.: concept, analysis, and writing. E.B.T.: concept, analysis, and revision.

Financial support: Jeremy Louissaint T32DK062708. Elliot B. Tapper receives funding from the National Institutes of Health through the NIDDK (1K23DK117055-01A1).

Potential competing interests: E.B.T. has served as a consultant to Norvartis, Kaleido, and Allergan; has served on advisory boards for Mallinckrodt, Rebiotix, and Bausch Health; and has received unrestricted research grants from Gilead.

Comment on

  • Psychological Burden of Hepatic Encephalopathy on Patients and Caregivers.
    Fabrellas N, Moreira R, Carol M, Cervera M, de Prada G, Perez M, Vazquez E, Sola M, Sancho R, Juanola A, Pose E, Solé C, Graupera I, Solà E, Kamath PS, Ginès P. Fabrellas N, et al. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2020 Apr;11(4):e00159. doi: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000159. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2020. PMID: 32352686 Free PMC article.

References

    1. Shaw J, Bajaj J. Covert hepatic encephalopathy: Can my patient drive? J Clin Gastroenterol 2017;51(2):118–26. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Formentin C, Garrido M, Montagnese S. Assessment and management of sleep disturbance in cirrhosis. Curr Hepatol Rep 2018;17(1):52–69. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bajaj JS, Riggio O, Allampati S, et al. Cognitive dysfunction is associated with poor socioeconomic status in patients with cirrhosis: An international multicenter study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013;11(11):1511–6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Patidar KR, Thacker LR, Wade JB, et al. Covert hepatic encephalopathy is independently associated with poor survival and increased risk of hospitalization. Am J Gastroenterol 2014;109(11):1757–63. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bajaj JS, Wade JB, Gibson DP, et al. The multi-dimensional burden of cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy on patients and caregivers. Am J Gastroenterol 2011;106(9):1646–53. - PMC - PubMed