The effect of a continuous administration of a benzodiazepine antagonist (flumazenil) to the hepatic encephalopathy in alcoholic liver cirrhosis

Abstract

To investigate the effect of flumazenil on the hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, flumazenil was intravenously administered to five patients continuously for 3-6 days. Improvements of HE score were observed explicitly improved by more than grade II in all cases. Similarly, electroencephalogram (EEG) of patients were significantly altered from θ-δ wave or triphasic wave to slow α or α wave by flumazenil administration in all cases. Except a patient, HE scores were stable in two months after treatment. A continuous administration of flumazenil is therapeutically safe and useful to improve the HE in patient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.