Abstracts of the 2023 Annual Meeting of the ALEH
More infoHepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the most frequent complications of cirrhosis. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is the initial stage and is characterized by the fact that it has no clinical data; its diagnosis is made with neuropsychological tests, the MHE produces a deterioration in the quality of life of patients and an increased risk of accidents. Hence, it is relevant to diagnose. Performing neuropsychological tests requires prolonged time, so validating an MHE count test that is easy, reproducible, and in less time is recommended. The S-ANT test is performed by asking the patient to nominate 20 animals in one minute. In the reference score for the non-Mexican population, the test is negative; if it is less than 15 animals, it is positive and suggests MHE. This study aimed to assess the validity of the S-ANT scale as a screening test in patients with cirrhosis without overt HD.
Material and MethodsWe present a prospective, descriptive, and analytical study of patients with cirrhosis of different etiology, without manifest HE to those who underwent S-ANT, PHES, and Flicker test. to validate the S-ANT test, the area under the curve of the receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated. Its Sensitivity (S) and specificity (SE) were determined, and MHE was considered when PHES and Flicker were positive for MHE. Statistical analysis The number of animals that patients with and without MHE were compared with the student's t-test for independent groups. The Sensitivity and specificity were calculated with the AUROC cut-off point for the S-ANT score for MHE+.
ResultsThe mean S-ANT for MHE- was 19.35±5.4 and for MHE+ 14.7±5.6, p=0.024 AUROC was significant .760 (.577- .942, 95%CI); p=0.037 with an S=83% and SE=77% cutoff= 17.5 words.
ConclusionsIn the Mexican population, S-ANT reliably discriminates against patients with cirrhosis without overt HE with cognitive impairment, confirmed by PHES and Flicker test.
