Table 3.

Patients’ distribution according to serum potassium level and grade of hepatic encephalopathy (n = 5000)

	Hepatic encephalopathy grade a
Serum potassium level (mEq/l)	Grade 1	Grade 2	Grade 3	Grade 4	Total (% age)	P *
≥3.5	200	520	310	70	1100 (22)	0.0001
3–3.4	220	890	980	60	2150 (43)
2.5–2.9	60	460	860	170	1550 (31)
<2.5	0	0	80	120	200 (4)
Total (% age)	480 (9.6)	1870 (37.4)	2230 (44.6)	420 (8.4)	5000 (100)

^a Test used was Chi-square test.

^*Spearman rank correlation coefficient was significant at 0.01 level with level of hypokalemia.