Correlation of Prolonged QT Interval and Severity of Cirrhosis of Liver

Abstract

Objective:  To determine correlation between prolon-ged QT interval and severity of disease in patients of cirrhosis of liver.

Place of Study:  Department of Medicine, King Ed-ward Medical University.

Duration of Study:  March 2008 to May 2010.

Study Design:  Descriptive cross sectional study.

Patients and Methods:  One hundred and seventeen patients of cirrhosis were included. Baseline haemato-logical and biochemical parameters were determined. Model for end stage liver disease (MELD) score was determined for all patients to document stage of liver disease. Corrected QT interval was determined from electrocardiography of each patient using QT cirrhosis formula. Correlation between QT interval and MELD score was determined using Pearson correlation and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results:  One hundred and seventeen included patients had mean age of 53.58 (± 12.11) while male to female ratio was 1.78/1 (75 / 42). Mean MELD score was 17.08 (± 6.54) in study patients varying between 6 and 37 while mean corrected QT interval was 0.44 seconds (± 0.06). Pearson correlation revealed no significant relation between severity of liver disease as deter-mined with MELD score and prolonged QT interval (p value 0.18) Area under curve with ROC curve for correlation between prolonged QT interval and seve-rity of liver disease was 0.42.

Conclusion:  Prolonged QT interval is not an indicator of severity of disease in cirrhosis of liver.

Key Words:  Cirrhosis, MELD score, QT interval.