title: Lactitol versus lactulose in the treatment of chronic hepatic encephalopathy. A double-blind, randomised, cross-over study.
abstract: Lactitol is a disaccharide analogue of lactulose which is available as a pure crystalline powder. The efficacy of lactitol in the treatment of chronic hepatic encephalopathy was assessed in 9 cirrhotic patients in a randomised, double-blind, cross-over comparison with lactulose. The sugars were dispensed in solutions, identical in taste and appearance and with similar physico-chemical properties, which contained either 66.7 g/100 ml of lactitol or 66.7 ml (44.5 g)/100 ml of lactulose syrup. Patients were treated for periods of 3 months with each sugar, during which time they were monitored frequently by use of a number of clinical, psychometric and laboratory variables. The sugar solutions were dispensed in an initial dose of 0.75 ml/kg which was adjusted, as necessary, in order to produce two semi-soft stools per day. An adequate catharsis was achieved with a mean (+/- 1 SD) equivalent daily dose of 31.9 +/- 11.2 g of lactitol or 32.9 +/- 16.7 ml (21.9 +/- 11.1 g) of lactulose syrup. Both sugars were equally as effective in the treatment of this condition, even though events likely to cause decompensation arose in 5 patients during treatment with lactitol but in only 1 during treatment with lactulose. Side effects appeared to be more frequent during treatment with lactulose, despite the fact that the parent sugar was diluted in the trial solution; thus 5 patients experienced excessive flatulence and 8 experienced diarrhoea on lactulose compared with only 2 and 4 on lactitol, respectively. In all cases the excessive flatulence occurred independently of sugar dosage whereas the development of diarrhoea was dose-related.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hawley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stambuk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007792:Lactulose / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004187:Disaccharides; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D007792:Lactulose; C014635:lactitol