Precipitating Factors of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction : Hepatic encephalopathy is the major complication of patients with cirrhosis of the liver. Among 30% patients of patients with liver cirrhosis, have died from hepatic encephalopathy. In most cases of hepatic encephalopathy, a precipitating factor can be identified. Specific precipitating factors of hepatic encephalopathy have specific treatments, and proper treatment leads to a frequently reversible condition with a good prognosis. Objective: To determine the frequency of precipitating factors for hepatic encephalopathy among patients admitted with liver cirrhosis at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Gastroenterology at the BMU, Bangladesh, during the period from January 2016 to June 2017. 165 consecutive patients of both sexes having liver cirrhosis with hepatic encephalopathy were included in this study. Detailed history, clinical examination, and thorough investigations were performed to identify the underlying precipitating factors of hepatic encephalopathy. Result: Hepatic encephalopathy is found to be more common in male patients aged>40 years. Upper G.I. bleeding is found to be the most common precipitating factor for hepatic encephalopathy, followed by constipation, infection, electrolyte imbalance, and drugs. Most patients (65%) in this study had 2 or more precipitants of hepatic encephalopathy at presentation. Conclusion: Several precipitating factors of hepatic encephalopathy were identified in our study. It requires further large-scale multicenter studies with increased sample size and proper follow-up to establish the precipitating factors. Measures should be taken to minimize precipitating factors in cirrhotic patients to prevent hepatic encephalopathy. Medicine Today 2026, Vol.38 (2): 237-241