What are the signs of hepatic coma

Hepatic coma, also known as hepatic encephalopathy, is mainly characterized by symptoms of neuropsychiatric dysfunction such as dehydration and abnormal behavior, and motor and reflex abnormalities such as fluttering tremor. Hepatic coma can be categorized into stage 0~4 according to the degree of neuropsychiatric function as well as motor and reflex abnormalities. Stage 1.0: it is the latent stage of hepatic encephalopathy, and there are generally no behavioral and personality abnormalities or neurological pathological signs. Stage 2.1: the prodromal stage, with mild behavioral and personality abnormalities, such as anxiety and agitation, or apathy and forgetfulness, which may be accompanied by fluttering tremor. Stage 3.2: Pre-comatose stage, with neuropsychiatric abnormalities such as lethargy, slurred speech, and dysgraphia, as well as neurological reflexes such as hyperreflexia, increased muscle tone, and a positive Babinski’s sign, and a fluttering tremor. 4.3 Stage: it is the period of lethargy, with neuropsychiatric symptoms such as lethargy, confusion, hallucinations, etc., aggravation of neurological signs, often with a positive pyramidal tract sign, and fluttering tremor. 5.4 Stage 5: It is the comatose stage, which is characterized by stupor and inability to be awakened, so that fluttering tremor cannot be elicited, and there may be abnormalities such as hyper or hypotonia of tendon reflexes and muscle tone. Hepatic encephalopathy is often indistinguishable from other metabolic encephalopathies, and the diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy needs to be made with the exclusion of other known encephalopathies. Early manifestations of hepatic coma are reversible, late irreversible and even fatal, and should be treated promptly.