Cardiac dysfunction in chronic liver disease: A tissue Doppler imaging study.

Aim: The present aim of the study is to study cardiac dysfunction in chronic liver disease using 2D Echo cardiography and tissue Doppler Imaging. Methodology: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study conducted over 16 months (between March 2021 and June 2022) among patients seeking medical attention at Narayana Medical College & Hospital, Nellore. Results: A total of 100 cirrhosis patients were recruited. The average age was 46.6±11.13 years (Range 23 to 80 years). 80% patients were males. Most of the male patients (30 patients) were in 41 to 50 years age group but most female patients (7 patients) were less than 40 years in age group. Alcohol was the most common etiology (69%). Abdominal distention due to ascites (59 patients) was the most common clinical presentation and eleven among them had spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. 53 patients were found to have some echocardiographic abnormalities at the time of assessment. All 53 patients had diastolic dysfunction. However, only 18 patients had an ejection fraction less than 55%, indicating significant LV dysfunction. 8% of patients had RV Systolic dysfunction, and 8% of patients had pulmonary arterial hypertension. Based on the complications developed by the patients, 53.19% of hepatic encephalopathy, 72.73% of SBP, 50% of cases with GI Bleeding and HRS had Echo changes. Likewise, 21.15% of cases with esophageal varices and 10% of cases with PHG & GAVE had Echo changes respectively. Conclusion: The study concluded that to assess the cardiac dysfunction in chronic liver disease patients, it is preferable to do 2D Echo-Tissue Doppler Imaging rather than a conventional Colour Doppler study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]