Prolonged remission from hepatic encephalopathy with rifaximin: results of a placebo crossover analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rifaximin therapy reduced risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence and HE-related hospitalisations during a 6-month, randomised, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) and a 24-month open-label maintenance (OLM) study. However, the impact of crossover from placebo to rifaximin therapy is unclear.

Aim

To study the impact of crossing over from placebo to rifaximin treatment on breakthrough HE and hospitalisation rates using a within-subjects design.

Methods

Adults with cirrhosis and history of overt HE episodes, currently in HE remission, received placebo during the RCT and crossed over to rifaximin 550 mg twice daily during the OLM study. Rate of breakthrough overt HE episodes, hospitalisations and incidence and rate of adverse events (AEs) were analysed durin

SUBMITTER: Bajaj JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4284039 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature