IMPORTANCE OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN ASSESSING PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IN NEWLY DIAGNOSED PATIENTS WITHMODERATE AND SEVERE COPD
Abstract:
Objectives: The study aims at emphasizing the importance of echocardiographic active search of
pulmonary hypertension in patients diagnosed with moderate and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), knowing the importance of prognosis and subsequent evolution in developing chronic cor
pulmonale (CCP). Materials and methods: The study was conducted on a sample of 61 patients diagnosed
with moderate and severe COPD, in whom Doppler echocardiography was performed in order to calculate
pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) through the non-invasive method. There has also been
evaluated left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Statistical correlations between PASP and age, body mass
index (BMI) were also aimed at. Results: In the newly diagnosed COPD patients, there was no statistical
correlation between PASP value and the degree of respiratory functional impairment expressed by
maximum forced expiratory volume (EFV %) in the first second, patient age, BMI. PASP has been shown to
be closely correlated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, which is closely related to existence of
comorbidities. Conclusions: The study proves the importance of complex assessment even since the
diagnosis of COPD patients, regarding the existence of pulmonary hypertension, knowing the unfavourable
evolution in time, for the patients who develop CCP.
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