Muscle Tissue Oxygenation in Patients With Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis

Patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis exhibit numerous hemodynamic and microvascular changes, i.e., low systemic blood pressure and peripheral vasodilatation. In addition, alterations of tissue oxygenation are described in these patients.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been proposed as a tool to quantify microvascular dysfunction, for example in patients with sepsis (1) or after trauma (2). NIRS is a non-invasive technique that uses the differential absorption properties of oxygenated and desoxygenated hemoglobin to evaluate skeletal muscle oxygenation (3).

Up to the investigators' knowledge no data exist on NIRS measurements in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Aims of this study are to evaluate:

• Are there any changes in NIRS parameters in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis in comparison to other critically ill patients (matched to SAPS II Score) or healthy individuals?
• Is there a correlation with common accepted prognostic scores (MELD Score or indocyanin green clearance) in decompensated liver cirrhosis patients and initial NIRS parameters?
• Does the NIRS trend within the first three days of ICU care in decompensated liver cirrhosis patients receiving fluid replacement therapy correlate with the course of disease?

1. De Backer D, Creteur J, Preiser JC, Dubois MJ, Vincent JL. Microvascular blood flow is altered in patients with sepsis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Jul 1;166(1):98-104.
2. Creteur J. Muscle StO2 in critically ill patients. Curr Opin Crit Care. 2008 Jun;14(3):361-6.
3. Creteur J, Carollo T, Soldati G, Buchele G, De Backer D, Vincent JL. The prognostic value of muscle StO2 in septic patients. Intensive Care Med. 2007 Sep;33(9):1549-56.