Hepatic encephalopathy Hepatic encephalopathy Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is an altered level of consciousness as a result of liver failure. Onset may be gradual or sudden. Other symptoms may include movement problems, changes in mood, or changes in personality. In the advanced stages it can result in a coma. Hepatic encephalopathy can occur in those with acute or chronic liver disease. Episodes can be triggered by infections, GI bleeding, constipation, electrolyte problems, or certain medications. The underlying mechanism is believed to involve the buildup of ammonia in the blood, a substance that is normally removed by the liver. The diagnosis is typically made
Nominalized adjective Nominalized adjective A nominalized adjective is an adjective that has undergone nominalization, and is thus used as a noun. For example, in "the rich and the poor", the adjectives "rich" and "poor" function as nouns denoting people who are rich and poor respectively. The most common appearance of the nominalized adjective in English is when an adjective is used to indicate a collective group. This happens in the case where a phrase such as "the poor people" becomes "the poor". The adjective "poor" is nominalized, and the noun "people" disappears. Other adjectives commonly used in this way include "rich", "wealthy",