Treatment:

Treatment helps reduce the toxic chemicals that build up from liver failure. It may include antibiotics or a medication such as lactulose, which lowers the level of ammonia in the blood.

A treatment called branched-chain amino acid therapy may also improve symptoms and reverse brain damage from this condition.

There is no specific treatment for the neurologic syndrome, because it is caused by irreversible liver damage. A liver transplant may cure the liver disease. However, this operation may not reverse the symptoms of brain damage.

Expectations (prognosis):

This is a long-term (chronic) condition that may lead to irreversible nervous system (neurological) symptoms.

The patient may continue to get worse and may die without a liver transplant. If a transplant is done early in the course of the disease, the neurological syndrome may be reversible.

Complications:

Complications include:

• Hepatic coma
• Severe brain damage

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have any symptoms of liver disease.