Abstract: Objective To investigate the correlation between right heart function measured by ultrasound and Child-Pugh grading in patients with cirrhosis. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 78 patients with liver cirrhosis as the observation group and 78 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination from March 2021 to March 2023 as the control group.According to Child-Pugh classification, 78 patients with cirrhosis were divided into Grade A (N=38 cases), Grade B (N=30 cases) and grade C (N=10 cases) groups. The right ventricular structure and right cardiac function indexes of cirrhosis patients and healthy subjects were compared. The difference of right heart function in patients with different Child-Pugh grades was compared and the correlation between them was analyzed. Results In the observation group, right atrial systolic diameter (RASd), right atrium long diameter (RALd), right atrial diastolic diameter (RADd), right ventricular diastolic diameter (RVDd) and right ventricular wall thickness (RVAW) were (38.79±4.16) mm, (44.94±5.17) mm, (36.07±2.16) mm, (21.45±1.84) mm, and (2.39±0.57) mm, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of (41.01±4.13) mm, (35.31±2.08) mm, (19.38±1.63) mm, (2.01±0.21) mm, and (35.42±2.88) mm in the control group (P<0.05). The early mitral inflow velocity and mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E/E') values of the two groups were (6.50±1.39) and (6.60±1.62), respectively, and there was no significant difference (P>0.05). The right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC) and early to late diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E/A) of the observation group were (43.20±6.04) % and (1.28±0.27), respectively, which were significantly lower than those of (45.08±4.12) % and (1.39±0.31) in the control group. The tricuspid annular planes systolic excursion (TAPSE) and myocardial performance index (Tei index) of the observation group were (23.80±3.06) mm and (0.43±0.10), respectively, which were significantly higher than those of (22.61±3.11) mm and (0.37±0.12)mm in the control group (P<0.05). The RVFAC of cirrhosis patients with Child-Pugh grade A was (41.71±5.03)%, which was significantly lower than that of patients with Child-Pugh grade B (45.09±6.07)%. The E/A ratio of cirrhotic patients with Child-Pugh grade A was (1.41±0.36), which was significantly higher than that of (1.11±0.21) in patients with Child-Pugh grade C. The Tei index of liver cirrhotic patients with Child-Pugh grade A was (0.38±0.09), which was significantly lower than that of (0.45±0.04) in patients with Child-Pugh grade C (P<0.05). By Correlation analysis it was shown that E/A ratio was negatively correlated, whereas Tei index was positively correlated with Child-Pugh classification (P<0.05). Conclusion Ultrasonic measurement of right heart function in patients with cirrhosis is simple and reproducible. It was shown by Ultrasonography that the right heart function is damaged in patients with cirrhosis, and worsen with the progression of cirrhosis.

Key words: ultrasound, cirrhosis of the liver, right heart function, Child-Pugh classification, correlation