Fewer patients in the probiotic group were hospitalized for HE ( 19.7 % vs 42.2 % , respectively ; HR , 0.45 ; 95 % CI , 0.23-0 .87 ; P = .02 ) or for complications of cirrhosis ( 24.2 % ) than in the placebo group ( 45.3 % ) ( HR , 0.52 ; 95 % CI , 0.28-0 .95 ; P = .034 ) .