Pulmonary function changes in cirrhosis of the liver.

Pulmonary function tests were performed in 21 cirrhotic patients with ascites, and these were compared with 50 normal controls. The vital capacity in the cirrhotic group was 93.67 +/- 12.5% and in controls was 102.47 +/- 15.22%, p less than 0.05. The maximum voluntary ventilation in cirrhotic patients was 89.33 +/- 25.4% and in controls was 127.48 +/- 28.44%, p less than 0.001. The functional residual capacity in cirrhotic patients was 2362.19 +/- 845.08 ml and in controls was 3085.1 +/- 837.92 ml, p less than 0.01. The total lung capacity in cirrhotic patients was 4675 +/- 1204.09 and in controls was 5791.56 +/- 1033.99, p less than 0.01. The first forced expiratory volume in cirrhotic patients was 70.1 +/- 12.79%, whereas that in controls was 77.74 +/- 9.18%, p less than 0.05. These results imply that in cirrhosis of the liver there are prominent restrictive ventilatory disorders as well as obstructive disorders.