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
Adjective phrase Adjective phrase An adjective phrase (or adjectival phrase) is a phrase the head word of which is an adjective, e.g. "fond of steak", "very happy", "quite upset about it", etc. The adjective can initiate the phrase (e.g. "fond of steak"), conclude the phrase (e.g. "very happy"), or appear in a medial position (e.g. "quite upset about it"). The dependents of the head adjective—i.e. the other words and phrases inside the adjective phrase—are typically adverb or prepositional phrases, but they can also be clauses (e.g. "louder than you are"). Adjectives and adjective phrases function in two basic ways, attributively or predicatively.