Nomenclature and definition of hepatic encephalopathy — An update

Abstract

As recently as the mid-1990s, nomenclature and definitions for hepatic encephalopathy (HE) were not standardized. Many opinions prevailed, but hardly any consensus was present. Journal articles were being turned down based on incorrect terminology despite no real agreement on this issue in the liver community and the even more rarefied hepatic encephalopathy research community. A survey on what people thought the terms acute and chronic HE indicated was sent to 52 possible experts in the field of HE before and during an ISHEN meeting in Newcastle held in 1996. The results of the survey are shown in Table 1.Preliminary work before that meeting prepared the audience for adoption of some new terms. The survey results, as noted above, were notable for very widespread opinions on what the terms acute and chronic HE actually signified. Alas, the impact of that workshop was severely curtailed by the omission in the Newcastle proceedings book of any report on this topic. One issue was very clearly resolved. Dame Sheila Sherlock attended the Newcastle meeting and officially approved the adoption of the term hepatic encephalopathy over portosystemic or portal-systemic encephalopathy. Joseph Foley and Monroe Cole, previous active contributors to HE literature who resided in Cleveland, Ohio, also subsequently endorsed the change in the name of the syndrome.

Selective versus non-selective shunts for the prevention of variceal rebleeding

“…Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews of clinical signs, result of psychometric testing, and electroencephalogram (Ferenci 2002;Vilstrup 2014;Allampati 2015). • Post-shunt ascites.…”

Hepatische Enzephalopathie

“…▶ Tab. 6 Daten zur Charakterisierung einer hepatischen Enzephalopathie, die regelhaft erhoben und dokumentiert werden sollen [1,5].…”