Authors | Country | Type of HE | Arm | Agent | N (M:F) | Age | Causes of cirrhosis (A/V/C/O) | Precipitants of HE (Co/I/GB/O) | Route of administration and dose |
Rahimi et al12 | USA | Any grade | Intervention | PEG | 25 (16:9) | 55 (7) | 10/9/6/1 | 7/4/2/11 | 4 L orally or NGT |
Control | Lactulose | 25 (15:10) | 56 (11) | 9/10/6/0 | 2/6/4/13 | 20–30 g orally/200 g rectally | |||
Shehata et al13 | Egypt | Any grade | Intervention | PEG | 50 (22:28) | 56.42 (8.6) | NA | 14/12/NA/23 | Up to 75 kg: three sachets (one sachet: 64 g) orally/NGT >75 kg: four sachets (one sachet: 64 g) orally/NGT |
Control | Lactulose | 50 (30:20) | 54.5 (11.8) | NA | 13/16/NA/21 | 20–30 g orally+200 mL administered as retention enema | |||
Raja et al15 | India | Any grade | Intervention | PEG | 25 (20:5) | 62.12 (5.93) | 18/3/4/0 | 7/5/10/3 | 2 L of polyethylene glycol 3350 electrolyte solution (PEG) orally/NGT |
Control | Lactulose | 25 (19:6) | 60.48 (8.45) | 17/3/4/1 | 6/4/11/4 | 20–30 g orally or NGT | |||
Bajwa et al14 | India | Any grade | Intervention | PEG | 47 | 39.51 (13.27) | NA | 40/5/3/0 | 500 mL every 4 hours through nasogastric tube |
Control | Lactulose | 47 | 40.45 (14.10) | NA | 42/6/5/0 | 30 mL four hourly through nasogastric tube |
Age: mean (SD).
A, alcohol; C, cryptogenic; Co, constipation; GB, gastrointestinal bleeding; HE, hepatic encephalopathy; I, infection; M:F, male and female; N, number of patients; NA, Not available; NGT, Nasogastric tube; O, other; V, viral.