Table 2.

Overt hepatic encephalopathy hospitalizations identified by therapy upon admission and then in-house continuous or addition of medication

Therapy received affected hospital stays and costs in patients with OHE
Group (outpatient therapy → added hospital therapy)	n	MELD score (mean)	Length of stay (days)	Time to start of full diet (days)	HCUP (7,500/d)	Insured/MC/MD costs (8,382/d)
(1) Lac→Lac	18	11.5	5.75	4.1	43,125	48,197
(2) RFX→Lac	19	12.5	3.4	2.25	25,500	28,329
(3) Lac→RFX	20	10.5	4.25	3.5	31,875	35,624
(4) NT→Lac/RFX	14	11.5	5.25	3.8	39,375	44,006
(5) NT→Lac	28	13	6.5	4.5	48,750	54,483

Notes: There were five groups of patients with three admission treatments: no treatment, lactulose, or rifaximin. Patients were then treated with lactulose, rifaximin, or both. The most expensive group in terms of length of stay and overall costs were the no treatment groups. The least expensive in terms of length of stay and overall costs was the group presenting on rifaximin therapy.

Abbreviations: d, day; HCUP, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project; Lac, lactulose; Lac/RFX, lactulose and rifaximin combination therapy; MC, Medicare; MD, Medicaid; MELD, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease; NT, no treatment; OHE, overt hepatic encephalopathy; RFX, rifaximin monotherapy.