Cardiovascular manifestations of liver cirrhosis according to its severity evaluated through the Child-Pugh score

Introduction: Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is a cardiac dysfunction that is present in patients with liver cirrhosis, in the absence of other heart disease. Objectives: To ascertain electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings and arterial oxygenation state in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 95 liver transplant recipients at the CIMEQ over the established period. The Child-Pug severity classification was applied for this purpose. Results: We screened 95 patients (53 women [55.7%]) who underwent electrocardiography, echocardiography, and determination of blood oxygen pressure and oxygen saturation by oximetry. The SPSS (20), with summary measures for qualitative (ratios and percentages) and quantitative (mean and standard deviation) variables was used. Our results reveal greater compromise of the variables studied in correlation with a greater severity of liver cirrhosis, as assessed by ChildPugh, in relation to S' wave (p=0.03), A wave (p=0.03), pulmonary artery trunk systolic pressure (p=0.004) and arterial oxygen partial pressure (p=0.004). Conclusions: Taking into account the Child-Pugh score, study showed a progressive approach to pathological values of echocardiographic variables for the analysis of diastolic function and pulmonary pressures, as well as oxygen content of arterial blood (PaO2), in the most advanced stages of liver cirrhosis.