Medical Care Diagnosis Medications Surgeries and Procedures Special Concerns Children Pregnancy HIV Cirrhosis Cirrhosis is the irreversible damage of the liver that can be caused by a variety of diseases including viral hepatitis , alcoholic liver disease , cancer , and others . Cirrhosis occurs when there is damage of liver tissue resulting an accumulation of scar tissue, decreased functioning liver tissue, and a distortion of normal liver structure that will ultimately further interfere with normal liver function. There are many debilitating complications associated with cirrhosis including encephalopathy , ascites , portal hypertension, gastrointestinal bleeding , hepatorenal syndrome , osteoporosis , and malnutrition .
Liver transplantation is the only cure for people with cirrhosis.
Symptoms of encephalopathy include loss of consciousness, drowsiness, confusion, and coma. A person with encephalopathy has difficulty explaining simple statements or even stating the day, month, and year. The initial treatment for encephalopathy is the medication lactulose that may be administered in combination with a low protein diet. About 75 to 80 percent of people who take lactulose respond to therapy with an improved mental state. Increased protein in the diet has been shown to be the culprit in only 7 to 9 percent of the cases of encephalopathy.