QT Intervals in Hospitalized Hepatitis C Positive Non Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis Patients

Background: Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy refers to structural, functional and electrophysiologic changes in liver cirrhosis (LC) patients. These changes were mainly reported in alcoholic LC. The aim of this study was to assess QT interval duration among hepatitis C positive (HCV+ve) non alcoholic LC patients.Patients and Methods: 45 HCV+ve non alcoholic hospitalized LC patients were enrolled in the study. The QT interval in lead II (QT II) maximum QT(QTmax), mean QT interval (QTmean), heart rate corrected QT max (QTmax c) in milliseconds were obtained manually using 12 leads electrocardiogram. Additional laboratory tests were performed. Those with history of consuming alcohol, suffering of atrial fibrillation hypokalemia, hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia, or receiving drugs known to affect QT interval were excluded from the study.Results: 53.3% of studied patients had a prolonged QTmaxc. 37.5%, 69% and 54.1% of those of child class A,B and C classes respectively had a prolonged QTmaxc. Mean-QTmaxc were 449.6±20.19 msec, 465.6±45.42 msec and 463.1±33.42 msec for those of child class A,B and C respectively. Mean QTII, QTmean, QTmax and QTmaxc did not appear to be significantly different in men compared to women. Age, gender, white blood cell count (WBC), serum uric acid (UA) or Child-Pugh score didn’t appear to be significantly correlated to QTmaxc duration.Conclusion: Nearly 53% of hospitalized HCV+ve non alcoholic LC patients have a prolonged QTmaxc. QTmaxc in these patients didn’t appear to be related to age, gender, WBC, serum UA or Child-Pugh score. Further research regarding the factors responsible for these electro- physiologic changes and its clinical value is needed.