Coronation Street highlights this week a little-known complication of
liver disease that the British Liver Trust warns can be deadly if
missed or left untreated. Viewers will know that Peter Barlow, who was
diagnosed with alcohol-related liver disease last year, has been
displaying strange and erratic behaviour and he is finally diagnosed
with hepatic encephalopathy.
Hepatic encephalopathy (sometimes called HE), is a debilitating
condition faced by patients with advanced liver disease that leads to
forgetfulness, poor concentration and affects the way a person interacts
socially. In very severe cases it can cause a coma.
Coronation Street's storyline about Peter Barlow has been
highlighting the complexities faced by patients with this condition. In
the last week Peter’s family and friends have noticed him acting
strangely and have suspected that he has been drinking again. On the 10th March 2021, this unusual behaviour is explained by a diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy.
Pamela Healy OBE, Chief Executive at the British Liver Trust says,
“We really welcome and thank Coronation Street for highlighting hepatic
encephalopathy, which is a deeply distressing complication faced by
patients with severe liver disease. It can also be very difficult for
people’s families as their loved ones can become extremely confused and
display aggressive or unusual behaviours. Sadly, the condition suffers
from a chronic lack of awareness so it is often missed by health
providers and misunderstood by people affected by it. Hepatic
encephalopathy affects approximately 40% of patients with advanced liver
disease and we provide information and support to help those affected.”
Lucy Anderson Jones, whose partner Jim had advanced liver disease, said:
“Looking after someone with HE is extremely difficult, tiring and
stressful. I constantly watched him for the first signs when Jim would
be irritable, belligerent, irrational and unsteady, becoming unable to
walk - still insistent that there was nothing wrong. Although it was
explained to him, I don't think he ever realised how near to death he
was.”
Hepatic encephalopathy occurs when a liver is seriously damaged with
cirrhosis and is unable to filter out the harmful toxins carried in our
blood as it would normally do. These toxins then continue to flow
through the bloodstream until they reach the brain, where they begin to
gather. After a while, this starts to cause physical damage to the brain
and affects the way people think and act. As well as toxins, things
such as dehydration, constipation or an infection can trigger an episode
of HE.
The symptoms can range from mild to severe and can vary from person
to person. Symptoms can develop rapidly or slowly over a period of time
and include confusion, forgetfulness, personality or mood changes.
Symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy
Mild or moderate
More severe symptoms
Very severe symptoms
For more information visit: www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/hepatic-encephalopathy
The British Liver Trust have worked closely with Coronation Street to
ensure that the liver disease storyline closely matched the experience
of real families affected by alcohol-related liver disease.
Distributed by Pressat