title: [Current possibilities in the therapy of hepatic encephalopathy].
abstract: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with acute or chronic liver disease. It is generally considered a metabolic and potentially reversible syndrome. An important component of HE is increased neuro-inhibition caused by reduced hepatic metabolism of gut-derived nitrogenous substances and by activation of the postsynaptic GABAA-receptor complex in the central nervous system. Effective conventional therapy of HE includes prevention of precipitating factors, restriction of dietary protein an administration of lactulose (or lactitol) and possibly also of antibiotics. In addition, animal studies and uncontrolled clinical studies indicate that the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil effectively diminishes the increased neuroinhibition in certain patients with HE. However, these favourable flumazenil effects must be confirmed in larger randomized and placebo-controlled multicenter studies before flumazenil can be regarded as a useful new addition to current management of patients with acute or chronic hepatic encephalopathy.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Klinische Pharmakologie, Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsspital Zürich.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bansky
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005442:Flumazenil
vernacular_title: Neue Möglichkeiten in der Therapie der hepatischen Enzephalopathie?