Epidemiology and Prognosis of Hepatic Encephalopathy at Zinder National Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common and serious complication of acute or chronic liver failure. Objective: To describe the epidemiological aspects and prognosis of patients followed for HE in the Hepato-Gastroenterology Department (HGE) of Zinder National Hospital (HNZ). Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection over a period of 03 years and 09 months from 01 January 2020 to 30 September 2023. Results: the study involved 120 patients followed for EH out of a total of 1191 hospitalized patients, i.e. 10.07% of the reason for hospitalization. The mean age was 44.66±14.51 years with a predominance of men (sex ratio at 2.75). Clinical signs were represented by neurological disorders in 100% (n=120), jaundice in 73.33% (n=88), ascites in 72.50% (n=87) and lower limb edema in 70.83% (n=85). HE occurred in 89.17% of chronic liver disease (n=107) and in 10.83% (n=13) of acute hepatitis. Patients were classified as stage II in 45% (n=54), stage III in 52.50% (n=63) and stage IV in 2.50% (n=3) according to West Haven. The triggering factors found were gastrointestinal bleeding in 36.44% (n=43), ionic disorders in 27.97% (n=33), hypoglycemia in 14.41% (n=17), drug intoxication in 11.02% (n=13) and infection of the ascites fluid in 10.17% (n=12). The evolution of our patients was favorable in 55.83% (n=67). The mortality of our patients was 44.17% (n=53). Conclusion: HE is a pejorative factor in the evolution of acute and chronic liver disease.