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The Correlation between Echocardiographic Findings and QT Interval in Cirrhotic Patients
Alireza Moaref1, Mahmood Zamirian1, Maryam Yazdani1
1Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Insights
Prolonged QTc interval in liver cirrhosis correlates with increased Left Ventricular End Diastolic Dimension (LVEDD). This finding suggests a link between heart electrical issues and fluid overload in cirrhotic patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hepatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Prolonged QTc interval is a significant electrocardiographic finding in liver cirrhosis patients.
- Echocardiography is crucial for identifying structural cardiac abnormalities in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between QTc interval prolongation and echocardiographic parameters in end-stage liver cirrhosis.
- To explore the relationship between electrophysiological changes and cardiac structural alterations in cirrhotic patients.
Main Methods:
- 100 patients (80 cirrhotic with advanced disease) underwent comprehensive echocardiography (chamber quantification, Doppler, TDI) and 12-lead ECG.
- QTc interval was calculated, and data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient (SPSS v.13).
- Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.
Main Results:
- A significant positive linear correlation was observed between prolonged QTc interval and Left Ventricular End Diastolic Dimension (LVEDD) (r = 0.41, P < 0.001).
- Left Ventricular End Diastolic Dimension (LVEDD) was the sole echocardiographic parameter significantly associated with QTc prolongation.
Conclusions:
- A positive correlation exists between QTc prolongation and LVEDD in cirrhotic patients.
- This association may indicate a direct relationship between cardiac electrophysiological abnormalities and the severity of volume overload in liver cirrhosis.
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.
Objectives:
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.
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