Can non-invasive measurements aid clinical assessment of volume in patients with cirrhosis?

Aim: To evaluate the non-invasive assessments of volume status in patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: Echocardiography and multifrequency bioimpedance analysis measurements and short synacthen tests were made in 20 stable and 25 acutely decompensated patients with cirrhosis.

Results: Both groups had similar clinical assessments, cortisol response and total body water (TBW), however the ratio of extracellular water (ECW)/TBW was significantly greater in the trunk (0.