Prolongation of the QTc interval in patients with cirrhosis

and in many congenital and acquired conditions as cardiac disease, electrolyte abnormalities, and many commonly used drugs. Additionally, acquired prolongation of QT interval has been documented in alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis and liver failure. Liver transplantation in the latter group has been shown to reverse this anomaly. The QT prolongation was found to be independent of the etiology of the hepatic disease, and positively associated with the severity of the disease as expressed by Child-Pugh score in a way that may have prognostic value. However, the cause of prolonged QT interval in liver disease remains obscure.