OBJECTIVES: This study investigates serum markers for short-term prognosis in hepatic encephalopathy patients. BACKGROUND: Patients with hepatic encephalopathy face elevated mortality rates and bleak prognoses. However, effective prognostic models or indicators are lacking. This study aims to explore serum markers for predicting short-term prognosis in these patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 552 patients with hepatic encephalopathy, categorizing 429 individuals meeting exclusion criteria into normal and high activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) groups. We assessed 12-day and 25-day survival rates using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models to examine associations between groups and outcomes. RESULTS: Upon comparing baseline characteristics, the high APTT group exhibited significant disparities in acute kidney injury, sepsis, coagulation disorders, and ascites ( CONCLUSION: A prolonged APTT suggests a poorer short-term prognosis in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.