Abstract
Abnormal small bowel motility has been describedin patients with liver cirrhosis but the mechanismsinvolved are unknown. The aim was to investigate apossible relationship between the severity of liver failure and the intensity of small intestinalabnormalities. Motility was studied during fasting, bymeans of perfused catheters and external transducers, on33 cirrhotics with different etiologies; 8 were at Child-Pugh stage A, 12 stage B, and 13 stageC. Both abnormalities of MMC and increased clusteredactivity were recorded. Absence of cycling activity wasmost frequently observed in Child-Pugh stage C patients compared to Child-Pugh stage Acirrhotics. A significant increase in clusteredcontractions from 4.7 ± 0.4/hr in stage Apatients to 11.3 ± 1.1 in stage C was recorded.The frequency and amplitude of contractions was also increased fromChild-Pugh stage A to stage C. Our findings might berelated to a delayed transit time observed in thesepatients and a higher prevalence of bacterial overgrowth in cirrhotics with more advanced liverdisease.
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Madrid, A.M., Cumsille, F. & Defilippi, C. Altered Small Bowel Motility in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis Depends on Severity of Liver Disease. Dig Dis Sci 42, 738–742 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018899611006
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018899611006