An accurate, objective test for minimal hepatic encephalopathy may provide a medical basis to prevent driving while encephalopathic.

摘要

I want to congratulate Dhiman et al. on their excellent article in the August 2010 issue of the journal on developing a simple, objective, and accurate test for minimal hepatic encephalopathy [1]. A major, potential application of such a test is to restrict driving of patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy to prevent motor-vehicle accidents; patients driving while encephalopathic are at high risk of motor vehicle accidents, which can cause injury to themselves and others [2-5]. By analogy, simple, objective, and accurate tests for alcoholic intoxication-the alcohol breath test or blood alcohol level-provide the basis to bar driving while intoxicated [6, 7].