Economic Impact of Treatment Options for Hepatic Encephalopathy

ABSTRACT

Complications of chronic liver disease, such as hepatic encephalopathy (HE), can have a substantial impact on the economic burden of liver disease. In the United States, a report of 162,734 inpatient hospital discharges included HE or unspecified encephalopathy diagnoses in 2004, a 234% increase over data from 1993. Hospital charges for HE and HE-related conditions also increased from 1993 to 2004 in the United States. Mean hospital charges have increased despite a steady reduction in the mean duration of stay, a trend that may reflect advances in treatment. Several studies have provided data about the cost-effectiveness of rifaximin and lactulose as treatments for HE. These studies showed that, although rifaximin costs more per tablet than lactulose, rifaximin is more cost-effective for long-term therapy. Further studies are warranted to more fully evaluate the relative long-term cost-effectiveness of specific HE treatments.

KEYWORDS

Hepatic encephalopathy - health care utilization - lactulose - rifaximin

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