Electrocardiographic Findings and Its Comparison With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Severity In Patients: A Prospective Study

Electrocardiographic Findings And Its Comparison With COPD Severity In Patients

Abstract

Background: Electrocardiographic evaluation is an important tool for assessing the cardiac abnormalities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the electrocardiographic findings in patients with COPD and distribute them based on COPD severity. Material and Methods: Hundred COPD patients confirmed using clinical, radiology of chest, and pulmonary function test were studied in the Department of Medicine, BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur from February 2017 to July 2018. Patients were divided based on severity of COPD based on forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) values in to mild (60-79), moderate (40-59) and severe (<40). Two-dimension trans-thoracic Doppler and M-mode echocardiography was performed and findings were compared with the severity of the COPD. Result: Majority were males (87%). Mean age of study cohort was 61.45±11.27 years. COPD was more prevalent in patients who were in fifth to seventh decade of their age. Mean FEV1 was 36.78 ± 11.56 % of predicted. Majority of the patients had severe COPD (65%). Most common symptoms for COPD was breathlessness (100%) followed by cough with sputum (96%). In echocardiographic evaluation majority had pulmonary hypertension (62%), 58% had corpulmonale 52% had right ventricular dilatation and 34% right ventricular hypertrophy. Among the patients with mild COPD, only 2 patients had evidence of pulmonary hypertension. Among the patients with moderate COPD, 31% patients had echocardiography evidence of pulmonary hypertension, 28% had evidence of corpulmonale whereas in severe COPD group75% had pulmonary hypertension and 82% had echocardiographic evidence of corpulmonale. Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of pulmonary hypertension, corpulmonale, left ventricular dysfunction complicating COPD, more so with more severe COPD. We recommend screening of all COPD patients for cardiac complications. [Shahi R Natl J Integr Res Med, 2020; 11(4):15-18]