Duration of the acute hepatic encephalopathy episode determines survival in cirrhotic patients

Background:Episodes of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) have been related to low survival rate. However, the relation between its clinical evolution and mortality has not been assessed.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 245 cirrhotic patients admitted for an acute episode of HE (⩾grade 2) or who developed an HE episode after an upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) event was performed to assess the relation between time in HE and transplant-free survival.Results:Median (IQR25–75) time in HE was 48 h (24–96 h) in the whole cohort. Patients who presented a longer time in HE (>48 h; n = 89) exhibited a lower transplant-free survival at 28 days (67.2% versus 88.9%, p 48 h, when comparing patients according to baseline HE grade (2 versus ⩾3) or model for end-s...