Frequency of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Abstract

Introduction The major hemostatic problem in cirrhotic patients is the increased risk of bleeding, but venous thromboembolism is also being reported as a noticeable feature of cirrhosis. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine the frequency of venous thromboembolism in patients with liver cirrhosis. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study took place at a major metropolitan hospital in Karachi for a period of six months. A total of 142 patients age 40 to 70 years, either gender and Child-Pugh class A to C liver cirrhosis for >3 months were enrolled in this study. The demographic features like age, gender, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), duration of symptoms, and Child-Pugh class were noted. The patients were examined for calf swelling, tenderness, and pitting edema. Venous thrombosis was diagnosed on ultrasound of the calf done by an experienced radiologist in patients having two or more than two of the above-stated findings. The mean and standard deviation were calculated for age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and duration of symptoms. The frequency and percentage were calculated for the range of age, gender, range of weight, range of height, range of BMI, range of duration of symptoms, Child-Pugh class, and venous thrombosis. Stratification was done of venous thrombosis with age, obesity, gender, Child-Pugh class, and duration of symptoms by applying the chi-square test and assuming p-value 60 years. There were 89 (62.7%) female and 53 (37.3%) male patients. The mean weight of the study population was 60.15 +/- 5.11 kg and most patients, i.e., 81 (57%), weighed 2 and most patients, i.e., 81 (57%) were 2. The mean duration of symptoms of the patients was 5.63 +/- 1.77 months and most patients, i.e., 86 (60.6%) had