title: The Correlation between Echocardiographic Findings and QT Interval in Cirrhotic Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although many electrocardiographic abnormalities have been reported previously, prolonged QTC interval represented as the most important ECG finding in patients with liver cirrhosis. Echocardiography can detect structural cardiac abnormalities in cirrhotic patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to determine the correlation between QTC prolongation and echocardiographic findings in end stage liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was conducted on 100 patients selected through convenient sampling. We recruited 80 cirrhotic patients with CHILD score > B or MELD score > 15 from the transplantation ward of Nemazee educational hospital. A complete echocardiographic study, including chamber quantification, a complete flow Doppler, and tissue Doppler analysis, was performed for each patient using a GE vivid 3 system equipped with Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI). Then, twelve-lead ECG was carried out and QTc interval was calculated in all patients. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (v. 13) and Pearson's correlation coefficient. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients' age ranged from 20 to 60 years old and 62.5% of them were male. According to the results, the only parameter which was significantly associated with prolonged QTc interval was Left Ventricular End Diastolic Dimension (LVEDD). Additionally, a linear direct relationship was found between corrected QT interval and LVEDD (r = 0.41, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study showed a positive correlation between QTC prolongation as an electerocardiographic finding and LVEDD in echocardiography of the cirrhotic patients. This may indicate a direct relationship between the electrophysiological problems and the severity of volume overload in cirrhotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moaref
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamirian
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yazdani
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Oveis
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sayadi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aghasadeghi
keywords: Cirrhosis; Echocardiography; Electrocardiography; Long QT