The emergence of hepatic coma suggests that the condition is serious and the prognosis is poor.
Hepatic coma, also known as hepatic encephalopathy, is a serious complication of severe hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer and other diseases, in which patients have abnormalities in consciousness, behavior and language on the basis of the original disease manifestations. Hepatic encephalopathy is easily complicated by cerebral edema, gastrointestinal bleeding, etc., and usually has a serious condition with a poor prognosis. However, the exact severity is related to the grading of hepatic encephalopathy, the underlying cause of the disease, and the responsiveness to treatment.
For patients with underlying liver disease, attention should be paid to monitoring blood ammonia, mentality, speech and calculation ability, etc. Care should be taken to avoid or promptly correct possible triggers, such as infection, water-electrolyte disorders, massive discharge of ascites, excessive diuresis, constipation, etc.
Those who present with hepatic encephalopathy need to be actively handled and follow the doctor’s instructions for rational treatment.