Pulmonary Dysfunction in Chronic Liver Disease

Clinical Challenge Pulmonary Dysfunction in Chronic Liver Disease

Pulmonary abnormalities and symptoms are common in patients with chronic liver disease. If questioned, up to 70% of cirrhotic patients undergoing evaluation for liver transplantation complain of dyspnea.1 In screening studies of patients with chronic liver disease, arterial blood gas abnormalities are found in as many as 45% and abnormal pulmonary function tests in as many as 50%.2 A variety of...

Diaphragm dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE Hypercapnic respiratory failure because of inspiratory muscle weakness is the most important cause of death in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the pathophysiology of failure of the diaphragm to generate force in COPD is in part unclear. OBJECTIVES The present study investigated contractile function and myosin heavy chain content of diaphragm muscle single fibe...

Cricopharyngeal dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Dysphagia due to cricopharyngeal dysfunction is well known; however, there have been no previous data indicating an association between cricopharyngeal dysfunction and COPD. After observing marked cricopharyngeal dysfunction with aspiration in three patients who had frequent and severe exacerbations of COPD, we performed pharyngoesophageal examinations with videotaping in another 22 nonrandomiz...

Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in Chronic Liver Disease

Gastrointestinal dysfunction frequently occurs in liver cirrhosis and increases with disease severity. The major abnormalities are altered gastrointestinal motility, disrupted gut barrier function with increased intestinal permeability and malabsorption. Not only does the presence of these gut abnormalities impair oral intake and lead to malnutrition, they can play a central role in the pathoge...

Renal dysfunction in chronic liver disease