Table 2.

Percentage of subjects (n=150) who answered each question correctly in the baseline survey. Items are grouped by clinical domain.

Item	Question	Percentage correct
Ascites
2	In order to follow a “low sodium” diet, all I have to do is avoid adding salt to my food	81%
3	Sea salt has less sodium than regular table salt	48%
5	Patients with cirrhosis who develop swelling (retaining fluid) in the abdomen and legs, should cut down on drinking fluids to help this problem	76%
6	A low sodium diet means eating less than 5,000 mg of sodium per day	44%
7	Patients with cirrhosis and ascites (fluid in the belly) who develop a hernia at their belly button should have this surgically repaired	44%
13	If the sodium level in my blood is low, this means I should eat more salt	88%
Hepatic encephalopathy
8	Which is the best answer: (a) lactulose should be taken at a fixed dose every day, or (b) the dose of lactulose should be adjusted based on the number of bowel movements	56%
9	Patients with hepatic encephalopathy (confusion related to cirrhosis) should reduce their intake of (a) total protein, (b) animal protein, or (c) fatty foods	12%
10	Patients with cirrhosis have a higher rate of car accidents than people without cirrhosis	24%
Concomitant medications
1	Medications to lower cholesterol (“statins”) such as Lipitor or Zocor are safe for patients with cirrhosis	29%
4	For patients with cirrhosis who have minor aches and pains, the safest over-the-counter medication is (a) Motrin, (b) Tylenol, (c) Aleve, (d) Aspirin	44%
Health maintenance
11	Patients with cirrhosis get an ultrasound every six months in order to (a) determine liver function, (b) look for gallstone, (c) look for liver cancer	58%
12	Patients with cirrhosis should get the flu shot every year	87%
14	Patients with cirrhosis should be vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B	79%
15	Patients with cirrhosis always have abnormal liver enzymes	44%