[Predictors of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with severe acute liver injury]

severe acute liver injury (SALI) formerly known as severe acute hepatitis is an acute inflammation of the liver with markers of liver injury (elevated transaminases) and signs of hepatocellular failure (jaundice and INR greater than 1.5) according to the latest definition of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). An important prognostic factor in SALI is the development of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and thus its progression to acute liver failure (ALF), formerly known as acute severe hepatitis. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors predicting the development of hepatic encephalopathy during SALI.

we conducted a retrospective study of patients treated for SALI between January 2000 and December 2019. We divided patients into two groups depending on whether hepatic encephalopathy occurred. We performed an analytical study comparing the two groups according to their epidemiological, biological and evolutionary data.

data from the medical records of fifty-nine patients were collected. A virus was the most frequent cause (63%). Hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 15 patients (25.4%). Factors predicting the development of HE in univariate analysis were a delay in consultation of more than 9 days, an INR level of more than 2.45, a bilirubin level of more than 230 μmol/l, creatinine greater than 60.5 μmol/l, urea greater than 5.5 mmol/l and MELD score greater than 26.5 (p=0.023, p=0.017, p=0.0001, p=0.049, p=0.0001, p=0.0001 respectively). Autoimmune hepatitis and an undetermined cause were associated with the development of HE (p=0,003 and p=0,044, respectively). In multivariate analysis, autoimmune aetiology and a urea level above 5.5 mmol/l were significantly associated with the occurrence of HE. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups with regard to age, sex and diabetes.

SALI is a rare disease, mainly due to a virus in our country. Predictive factors of HE are important for early identification of patients at risk of adverse outcomes.