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PSYCHOMETRIC HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY SCORE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF MINIMAL HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN ROMANIAN CIRRHOTIC
Unlabelled:
In Romania, minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is underdiagnosed and undertreated in patients with liver cirrhosis. The psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) is recommended as the first-line tool for the diagnosis of MHE.
Aim:
To use PHES in a group of Romanian cirrhotic patients and highlight the relationships between demographic and biological factors and tests results.
Materials And Methods:
Of the 148 patients with liver cirrhosis admitted to the Iaşi Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology between August 2014 and February 2015 only 80 who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled and completed the study. Blood samples for routine tests and serum ammonia were collected from all patients on the day of PHES evaluation.
Results:
In the study group (n = 80) mean age was 57.7 ± 8.5 years, and the average number of years of education was 11.2 ± 2.7. The main causes of cirrhosis were alcohol consumption (31 patients--38.8%), hepatitis C virus infection (29 patients--36.3%) and hepatitis B virus infection (17 patients--21.3%). Age, number of years of education, severity of liver disease (measured by using Child-Pugh and MELD scores) and some biological constants (albumin, bilirubin, International Normalized Ratio-INR) were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with most psychometric tests.
Conclusions:
PHES is a practical, objective and useful method for the diagnosis of MHE. Demographic and biological factors correlated with the results of the psychometric test. The PHES requires standardization before applying it in Romanian cirrhotic patients.
Insights
Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in Romanian cirrhosis patients is often missed. The psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) is a useful diagnostic tool, but requires standardization for this population.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Neurology
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated in Romanian patients with liver cirrhosis.
- The psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) is the recommended first-line diagnostic tool for MHE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of PHES in Romanian cirrhotic patients.
- To explore correlations between demographic and biological factors and PHES results.
Main Methods:
- The study included 80 Romanian patients with liver cirrhosis.
- Psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) was administered.
- Blood samples were collected for routine tests and serum ammonia levels.
Main Results:
- Mean age of participants was 57.7 years, with an average of 11.2 years of education.
- Common causes of cirrhosis included alcohol (38.8%), hepatitis C (36.3%), and hepatitis B (21.3%).
- Age, education, liver disease severity (Child-Pugh, MELD), albumin, bilirubin, and INR significantly correlated with most psychometric tests (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- PHES is a practical and objective method for diagnosing MHE in cirrhotic patients.
- Demographic and biological factors are correlated with PHES outcomes.
- Standardization of PHES is necessary for its effective application in Romanian cirrhotic patients.
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