HepQuant to Predict Hepatic Encephalopathy After TIPS

Exclusion Criteria

• •Prisoners
• •Pregnant women
• •Subjects undergoing TIPS placement as part of an investigational study outside of usual clinical care
• •Subjects taking beta-blocker medications or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors
• •Subjects with evidence of porto-systemic shunts present on imaging (eg splenorenal shunt)
• •Subjects with calculated MELD score \>12 based on most recent laboratory values before consent
• •Subjects with prior history of overt hepatic encephalopathy (grade 3-4) that was primary reason for hospitalization. Episodes of hepatic encephalopathy that were the consequence of other precipitating event (such as variceal bleeding or infection) will not be considered exclusionary.
• •Subjects with a known sensitivity to albumin preparations, any ingredient in the formulation, or components of the container
• •Subjects unable to fast for \>5 hours prior to the HepQuant administration or subjects who are unable to drink the oral dose of the cholate (\~40mL of liquid).