Branched chain amino acid enriched solutions in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy: a controlled trial

The study was performed on 48 patients consecutively admitted to our departments between Sept. 1977 and April 1980 and selected according to the following criteria: (1) presence of liver cirrhosis (diagnosed on clinical and laboratory data and confirmed in all cases but one by liver biopsy) (2) presence of HE (assessed by two different observers through the evaluation of mental state, asterixis and number connection test (Reitan A) using the score system proposed by Conn;13 EEG performed in 36 out of the 48 cases were graded according to the classification of Kurtz et al.:14 only patients in grade 2-3-4 HE were included in the study); (3) no evidence of hepato-renal syndrome (assessed according to the criteria proposed at the symposium held in Sassari15.)