Active clinical trials for "Hepatic Encephalopathy"

The purpose of this study is to determine if FMT can reverse Hepatic Encephlopathy (HE) in cirrhotic patients who continue to have breakthrough episodes of HE despite maintenance therapy with lactulose and/or rifaximin or metronidazole.

Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Rifaximin Soluble Solid Dispersion (SSD) Tablets Plus Lactulose for the Treatment of Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy (OHE).

The purpose of the study is to determine if fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) can reverse hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in cirrhotic patients who continue to have breakthrough episodes of HE despite maintenance therapy with lactulose and/or rifaximin or metronidazole.

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and tolerability of GT4P administered orally as a single dose, and twice daily for 7 consecutive days, to subjects with hepatic impairment with cirrhosis (Child-Pugh scores of A, B, or C) and to a gender matched and similar age control group with normal hepatic function.

The primary objective of the study was to compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Extracorporeal Albumin Dialysis (ECAD) using the Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System (MARS®) device in improving severe HE by 2 grades compared to Standard Medical Therapy (SMT) in patients with chronic End Stage Liver Disease (ESLD) during a 5 day study period.

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of a home meal delivery program for patients with cirrhosis and ascites and to determine the effectiveness of a salt-restricted (2 gram sodium) meal delivery program in reducing the need for therapeutic paracenteses and/or all-cause re-admissions for these patients. Many patients with cirrhosis don't have enough nutrients in the body and are frail and these meals may help them maintain a good diet and lead to improved quality of life.

As an alternative for the treatment of Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy (MHE) Agave fructans have shown prebiotic effects, and have shown to improve function of the digestive system, control and induce glycemic effect satiety. Therefore the impact of the fermentation of such prebiotic in the gut may contribute to improving health and quality of life of patients with MHE.

Hepatic encephalopathy is responsible for sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness. The purpose of our study is to assess sleep quality, quantity, sleep schemes and physical activity in patients suffering from HE, before and after a 2 weeks treatment with rifaximine, which is currently given to lower blood ammoniac levels.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a potentially reversible functional disorder of the brain with neurological and psychiatric symptoms. HE occurs in up to 70% of patients with cirrhosis at some time during the course of disease. The chief neurotoxin implicated in the development of HE is ammonia. An important aim of treatment of HE is the reduction of the ammonia in the body by lowering the amount of ammonia produced and increasing its detoxification. Enteric production of ammonia can be decreased by non-absorbable disaccharides such as lactulose and antibiotics such as rifaximin. L-ornithine- L-aspartate (LOLA), the salt of the natural amino acids ornithine and aspartate acts through the mechanism of substrate activation to detoxify ammonia. In clinical trials, LOLA has shown a statistically significant effect with respect to reduction in HE grade, reduction of blood ammonia concentration and positive effects on psychomotor function in patients of cirrhosis with minimal HE and overt chronic Grade I HE, as compared to placebo. However, there is lack of data on the efficacy of LOLA in patients with overt acute hepatic encephalopathy which is one of the major causes of hospital admissions and resource utilization in decompensated cirrhotics. Each admission for HE causes a major financial loss to the family and financial burden on the society. Any drug which decreases the hospital stay by rapidly improving HE, will clearly lead to decreased hospital costs to the individual and the society as a whole. Hence, such a trial is a national priority. The investigators hypothesize that LOLA, if added to the standard treatment of overt acute HE (i.e lactulose), may lead to a faster recovery and decrease in hospital stay of these patients. In this prospective, randomized, placebo controlled trial, the investigators aim to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous L-ornithine, L-aspartate in reversal of overt acute hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy represents a common complication present in well-compensated cirrhotic patients that impairs patients daily functioning and health-related quality of life. Acetyl-L-carnitine has been shown to be useful in improving blood ammonia and cognitive functions in cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy. This study evaluated the effects of acetyl-L-carnitine treatment on health related quality of life and on depression in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy.