Cardiopulmonary complications in chronic liver disease

Figure 5 Panel A. Lung diffusion and blood oxygenation depend on the diffusion properties of the alveolar-arterial membrane, the degree of arterial-venous shunting through pulmonary shunts, and the degree of ventilation-perfusion inequality (V_A/Q). Panel B. The alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient increases with the severity of liver disease e.g. graduated according to the Child-Turcotte classification with the highest values in patients with hepatic coma. ¹denotes significant difference from Child class A patients (from Ref. [143]). Panel C. In cirrhosis, the diffusing capacity bears a direct relation to the increased cardiac output and to the central blood volume (not shown). Data from Ref. [45].