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Comparison of once a day rifaximin to twice a day dosage in prevention of recurrence of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with chronic liver disease.
J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015 Apr 13;
Authors: Khokhar N, Qureshi MO, Ahmad S, Ahmad A, Khan HH, Shafqat F, Salih M
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of rifaximin once a day dose in prevention of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis as compared twice daily dose of rifaximin.
DESIGN: Randomized control trial.
PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan from November 2012 to February 2014.
METHODOLOGY: Patients with known chronic liver disease (CLD) with at least one episode of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in the past were randomized to Group A (Rifaximin 550mg OD) and Group B (Rifaximin 550mg BD), after fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Each patient was followed for 6 months for any episode of HE. Patients in each group for any breakthrough episode of encephalopathy during this period were identified. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Chi-square test and t-test were applied where required to determine the significant difference between the two groups.
RESULTS: There were total 306 patients: 128 patients in Group A while 178 in group B. Majority of patients (75.81%) had hepatitis C virus with mean age of 52.30±9.92, MELD score 13.58±8.3 and (55.22%) were in Child Pugh B. 81 patients had episode of hepatic encephalopathy during the study period. There were 27 patients in group A, while 54 patients in group B with breakthrough episode of HE (P = 0.088).
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that there is no significant difference in rifaximin once a day or twice daily dose in preventing hepatic encephalopathy.
PMID: 25867912 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]