Excessive daytime sleepiness and hepatic encephalopathy: it is worth asking

The relationship between hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and the sleep-wake disturbances exhibited by patients with cirrhosis remains debated. The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of sleep-wake interview within the context of HE assessment. One-hundred-and-six cirrhotic patients were asked three yes/no questions investigating the presence of difficulty falling asleep, night awakenings and daytime sleepiness. All underwent formal HE assessment, quantitative electroencephalography and standardised psychometry. Fifty-eight were monitored for 8 ± 6 months in relation to the occurrence of HE. Patients complaining of daytime sleepiness (n = 75, 71 %) had slower EEGs than those who did not report it (relative alpha power: 37 ± 19 vs. 48 ± 17 %, p < 0.05). In addition, daytime sleepiness was associated with the presence of portal-systemic shunt (79 vs. 57 %, p < 0.05) and HE history (72 vs. 45 %, p < 0.05). Finally, the absence of excessive daytime sleepiness had a Negative Predictive Value of 92 % (64–100) in relation to the development of HE during the follow-up period. These data support the appropriateness of adding a yes/no question on the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness to routine assessment of patients with cirrhosis, to help identify those who do not need further, formal HE screening.