Cardiac Reserve Predicts Hepatorenal Syndrome in Patients with Cirrhosis

Cardiac testing could potentially identify at-risk patients who might benefit from early intervention.

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a serious complication of cirrhosis associated with high morbidity and mortality. Recent studies suggest that cardiac dysfunction may play a role in the pathogenesis of HRS.

To determine whether cardiac dysfunction predicts development of HRS, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study in 488 consecutive patients with cirrhosis undergoing liver transplantation evaluation in Australia. All patients underwent dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) as a part of their workup. Cardiac output (CO) was assessed at baseline and during low-dose dobutamine infusion.

At baseline, 13% had established HRS based on standard criteria. Patients with HRS at baseline had a higher resting CO but mounted a reduced inotropi…

Reviewing Author

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Cardiac Reserve Predicts Hepatorenal Syndrome in Patients with Cirrhosis

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Reviewing Author