Evaluation of cardiac function in patients with liver cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
To study the cardiac function in patients with liver cirrhosis.


METHODS
Thirty patients with liver cirrhosis, referred to as group I (G 1), were selected. They were subdivided according to Child-Pugh classification into 3 groups: A, B, and C. Thirty healthy subjects, referred to as group II (G II), were selected as a control group. All persons were examined by resting ECG, abdominal ultrasound, laboratory tests, and echo-Doppler evaluation of systolic and diastolic functions of both ventricles using 2-D, M-mode, conventional Doppler, and tissue Doppler parameters.


RESULTS
Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced with increased resting HR and CO in G I (p<0.05). The QTc interval was prolonged in G I (0.45±0.03 ms; p<0.001) but EDV, ESV, EF%, and S´ velocity were not significantly different in both study groups for both ventricles. LAD, MPI, LVPWT, and, IVST were significantly increased in G I (p<0.05). E/A and E´/A´ ratios were reversed in G I with increased DT/E for both ventricles (p<0.001). No significant difference was found among Child A, B, C subgroups except for the LAD which was significantly increased in Child C (p<0.05). There was a significant inverse correlation between serum albumin and left ventricular MPI (r=-0.4, p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Many cardiovascular abnormalities occur in patients with liver cirrhosis that mandate echocardiographic evaluation especially in cases who undergo any procedure which may affect the hemodynamics.
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.
Tarek A
TA
Abd-El-Aziz
Mohamed
M
Abdou
Ahmed
A
Fathy
Mohamed
M
Wafaie
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged