Abstract: Objective To investigate the correlationship between electrocardiographic abnormality and Child-Pugh classification and cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (ECM) in patients with liver cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Mehtods Patients were divided into CHC group (45 cases) and liver cirrhosis
caused by CHC group (51 cases), and 51 healthy cases were taken as normal control. According to Child- Pugh classification, 51 patients confirmed as cirrhosis were classified into liver function grade A (17 cases), liver function grade B (20 cases), and liver function grade C (17 cases). All cases were measured with ECG- 1550P electrocardiograph tracing 12 standard leads ECG by professional staff, respectively, and data was compared. Results ⑴ The abnormal rate of ECG in liver cirrhosis caused by CHC group was 72.55%. Totally, 112 times of abnormal ECG were detected, with an average of 2.20 times. But the abnormal rates of ECG in health control group and CHC group were 1.96% and 6.66%, respectively, all with minor alterations of ECG. ⑵ There were 3 kinds of abnormal ECG findings in patients with liver cirrhosis caused by CHC: Q-Tc interval prolongation (28/51, 54.90%), abnormal ST-T in electrocardiogram (27/51, 52.94%) and limb lead low voltage (17/51, 33.33%), which always combined in various ways and occurred together in
liver cirrhosis patients caused by CHC. ⑶ The relationship between electrocardiographic abnormality andChild-Pugh classification in patients with liver cirrhosis caused by CHC: for patients of grade A, grade B and grade C according to Child-Pugh classification, the occurrence rates of Q-Tc interval prolongation, abnormal ST-T in electrocardiogram and limb lead low voltage were (0/14,13/20,15/17), (1/14,11/20,15/17) and (1/14,5/20,11/17), respectively. Conclusions CHC-related cirrhosis may lead to abnormal changes of ECG, the most important of which were Q-Tc interval prolongation, abnormal ST-T in electrocardiogram and limb lead low voltage. It was suggested that the liver function of confirmed cirrhosis is grade B or grade C according to Child-Pugh classification, and the patients may already have complications of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. Thus, the above abnormal changes of electrocardiogram can be taken as a useful indicator for the prognosis in cirrhotic patients caused by chronic hepatitis C.
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