Successful treatment of hepatic coma probably caused by acute infectious hepatitis with balanced solution of amino acids.

Therapy with balanced amino acid solution enriched in branched amino acids has been reported to favourably influence hepatic encephalopathy due to liver cirrhosis. We here report the same favourable effect in 3 patients aged 29, 30 and 41 yr with hepatic coma at least in part induced by acute viral hepatitis. The patients regained consciousness within 8, 12 and 12 h, respectively. The treatment was continued for 9, 6 and 5 days, respectively.