Table 1.

Pros and Cons to Screening for Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy

Pros	Cons
Simple and fast screening tests are available	Screening in any form is time consuming
A handful of well‐validated tests are recommended	No gold‐standard test exists
Quality of life may improve	The patients will feel labeled as “impaired”
Several safe treatment options are possible	Lactulose causes frequent bowel movements
Patients and especially caregivers will be grateful that a doctor addresses issues important to daily living	The patient‐doctor relationship can be harmed if the patient is unaware of and doesn't recognize the cognitive impairment
MHE patients are more likely to be in a traffic accident	Patient's freedom/autonomy could be limited by driving restrictions
Episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy can be prevented, and this could ease the burden on the healthcare system	MHE screening requires dedicated resources