Abstract

URDANETA URDANETA, Yllen Mariel. Relación del amonio sérico con la severidad de la encefalopatía hepática. Gen [online]. 2008, vol.62, n.1, pp.44-48. ISSN 0016-3503.

In order to relate the figures of ammonium serum with the severity of hepatic encephalopathy (EH), a retrospective descriptive study was made, consisting of a sample of medical records of 70 patients, 18 years or older, male or female, hospitalized with the disease above mentioned in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Maracaibo during the period from 2003 to 2005. The variables studied were: age, sex, degree of EH and figures of ammonium (ø mol / L) serum. Of the 70 patients with EH, 49 (70.00%) were male and 21 (30.00%) female. In the group of male patients, the average age was 55.6 μ 14.95 and in the female group 55.25 ± 16.74, differences were statistically not significant. Eighteen (18) patients (25.72%) had grade I encephalopathy, with an average of ammonium 40.86 μ 20.73; 28 (40.00%), grade II with an average of ammonium 63.89 ± 30, 91, 12 (17.14%), grade III and the average ammonium was 149.55 ± 95.67; 12 (17.14%) grade IV with an average ammonium 383.11 ± 104.66. Statistically significant differences, corroborated by p = 0.0001. It is concluded that there is a relationship between serum levels of ammonium and EH severity.

Keywords : Hepatic Encephalopathy; Ammonium Serum.