The circulation, the lung, and finger clubbing in hepatic cirrhosis.

Haemodynamic and respiratory data were obtained by gasometric methods in two groups of patients with hepatic cirrhosis, who were distinguishable by the presence or absence of finger clubbing. Cardiac index and venoarterial admixture were significantly higher in cases with clubbing; these findings are discussed. However, levels of venoarterial admixture were normal in four with clubbing, which suggests that increased right-to-left shuntflow is not an essentialfactor in the pathogenesis of clubbing in liver disease.