Encephalopathy

Rifaximin

Clinical trial

Engineering

Therapeutic modalities

Grading (engineering)

Treatment modality

Microbiology

Modalities

Hepatic encephalopathy

Biology

Intensive care medicine

Lactulose

Civil engineering

Cirrhosis

Antibiotics

Internal medicine

Pathology

Sociology

Social science

Medicine

Journal of Hepatology

Clinical progress in the development of new diagnostic modalities and therapeutic strategies for the management of patients with hepatic encephalopathy has lagged behind the vast knowledge that has been generated from basic studies. In this article, we critically assess matters that should be revisited, such as definition, classification, diagnosis and grading of hepatic encephalopathy, which are difficult to apply reproducibly using the current criteria. Many lines of investigation have confirmed that hepatic encephalopathy is irreversible in many patients and suggest the need for further studies focussing on mechanisms of neuronal injury and death, to guide future drug development for these patients.

Heretical thoughts into hepatic encephalopathy