Effect of Oral Garlic on Arterial Oxygen Pressure in Children with Hepatopulmonary Syndrome

To study the effect of oral garlic on arterial oxygen pressure in children with hepatopulmonary syndrome. Garlic powder in a capsule form was given to 15 children with hepatopulmonary syndrome (confirmed by contrast echocardiography) at the dosage of 1 g/1.73 m2 per day. Patients were evaluated clinically and by arterial blood gas every four weeks. The garlic capsule was administered to 15 patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome. There were 10 boys and 5 girls with a mean age of 9.4 ± 3.9 years. The underlying problems were biliary tract atresia (4 patients), autoimmune hepatitis (4 patients), cryptogenic cirrhosis (4 patients) and presinusoidal portal hypertension (3 patients). Eight patients (53.3%) showed an increase of 10 mmHg in their mean arterial oxygen pressure. The baseline PaO2 was 65.6 ± 12.1 mmHg in the responder group and 47.1 ± 11.2 mmHg in non-responder group. At the end of treatment the mean PaO2 in responders and non-responders was 92.2 ± 7.75 mmHg and 47.5 ± 11.87 mmHg, respectively (P ‹ 0.01). Garlic may increase oxygenation and improve dyspnea in children with hepatopulmonary syndrome.