Abstract: Objective To explore the effect of somatostatin on QT interval and heart rate of liver cirrhotic patients with gastroesophageal variceal bleeding. Methods A total of 56 cirrhotic patients with gastroesophageal variceal bleeding who were treated with somatostatin were included as the bleeding group; In addition, 56 cirrhotic patients hospitalized in the same period of time whose age, gender, Child-Turcotte-Pugh score matched with the bleeding group were selected as the control group. Patients in the bleeding group were subjected to electrocardiogram examination and the QTc interval and heart rate were measured before using somatostatin and after hemostasis. In addition, the heart rate was continually recorded after hemostasis with a prolonged usage of somatostatin for 24 hours. Results Before somatostatin treatment in 56 patients in the bleeding group, 23 patients (41.1%) had prolonged QT interval, and the average time to hemostasis was (50.00±14.63) hours. The number of patients with prolonged QT interval after hemostasis was 12 (21.4%), which was significantly less than that of before the treatment (P=0.025). In the control group, 21 of 56 cases (37.5%) had prolonged QT interval on admission, and 19 cases (33.9%) after an average of (51.12±2.16) hours of control treatment. There was no significant difference in the control group before and after the observation period of time (P>0.05). When admitted to the hospital, the average QTc interval of 56 patients in the bleeding group was (464.29±25.09) milliseconds (ms). After using somatostatin for hemostasis, the average QTc interval was shortened to (443.54±21.19) ms, which showed statistically significant difference before and after somatostatin treatment (P<0.001). The QTc interval of the control group was (463.25±22.79) ms at admission. After a control treatment of (51.12±2.16) hours, the average QTc interval was (458.48±21.91) ms, which were not different with that of at admission (P>0.05). In the bleeding group, the average heart rate during hemostasis was (64.63±10.02) beats/min, and (57.68±9.13) beats/min after continuing somatostatin treatment for 24 hours, which showed a significantly difference with the treatment (P<0.001). Conclusion Liver cirrhotic patients with gastroesophageal variceal bleeding have a high incidence of prolonged QT interval. Somatostatin treatment restores the QT interval to normal and slows down the patient's heart rate. In patients with liver cirrhosis, somatostatin may play a positive role in preventing and treating malignant arrhythmias caused by prolonged QT interval.

Key words: Somatostatin, Liver cirrhosis, Gastroesophageal variceal bleeding, QT interval