“CARDIAC EVALUATION OF COPD PATIENTS USING ECG, 2D ECHO AND ITS CORRELATION WITH SEVERITY OF COPD”

Abstract

Background: The incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which affects 10.1% of persons globally who are 40 years of age or older. COPD also known to cause the pulmonary hypertension, cor-pulmonale, right and left ventricular dysfunction. Present study aimed to correlate the clinical characteristics of patients with chronic obstructive lung disease with the results of pulmonary function tests, electrocardiography, and echocardiography. Material & Method: The present hospital based prospective analytical study conducted among 100 patients with age more than 30yrs with COPD were included. Patients with asthma, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, lung malignancy, cardiac diseases like valvular heart disease, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathies were excluded. Study was initiated after obtaining the institutional ethics committee and patients were included after obtaining the informed consent. The patients were evaluated with demographic details, history and clinical examination. All the patients underwent the investigations,
ECG and 2D ECHO, Spirometry among the patients with COPD.
Result: Total of 100 patients fulfilling inclusion criteria were included with maximum patients in age group of 50-70yrs (63%), with male preponderance (73%). Presence of RA/RV dilation in 9% of patients and LVDD in 6% of patients. The distribution of R/S ratio in V1 and V6 with severity of COPD is statistically significant. The distribution of LVDD and RA/RV dilation among severity of patients is statistically significant. Also, on comparing mean Pulmonary artery pressures with severity of COPD is found to be statistically significant. (p<0.01)
Conclusion: Electrocardiogram and Echocardiogram correlates well with the severity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease, however to establish the same, large-scale studies are necessary.