Serum Ammonia in Cirrhosis: Clinical Impact of Hyperammonemia
Central to hepatic encephalopathy pathophysiology are serum ammonia levels, which possess prognostic value and are seen in toxicity, sarcopenia, immune dysfunction, and more in cirrhosis of the liver. A literature review assessed serum ammonia’s clinical utility in managing hepatic encephalopathy, and findings confirm that increases in ammonia do contributes to toxicity, sarcopenia, and immune dysfunction in cirrhosis of the liver. Standardized guidelines on the gathering, analysis, and interpretation of serum levels would benefit clinicians.
Reference: Deutsch-Link S, Moon AM, Jiang Y, Barritt AS 4th, Tapper EB. Serum Ammonia in Cirrhosis: Clinical Impact of Hyperammonemia, Utility of Testing, and National Testing Trends. Clin Ther. 2022 Mar;44(3):e45-e57. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2022.01.008. Epub 2022 Feb 4. PMID: 35125217; PMCID: PMC9050925.
