Excessive production of blood ammonia in hepatic encephalopathy may be due to overproduction, poor metabolic clearance, and severe impairment of liver function, which prevents blood ammonia from being cleared and entering the body circulation to cross the blood-brain barrier, leading to elevated blood ammonia.
1. Overproduction: too much nitrogen-containing food is consumed, leading to increased intestinal production of ammonia.
2. Poor metabolic clearance: Liver function is damaged for many reasons, leading to excessive production of blood ammonia in the body, and the liver’s clearance ability decreases. Blood ammonia enters the body circulation possibly through portal vein shunt, causing ammonia in the blood to enter the body circulation through the blood-brain barrier, leading to elevated ammonia concentration in the blood.
Patients with hepatic encephalopathy are advised to consult a physician for standardized treatment as soon as possible to avoid life-threatening conditions.