Echocardiograph alterations in asthma patients.
BACKGROUND
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease which has increased during the last 20 years, putting a strain on medical resources, particularly severe forms of the disease. Treatment in such cases is inhaled corticosteroids and beta agonist drugs that can produce a range of side effects. The aim of this study is to identify echocardiograph abnormalities and correlate them with severity of disease.


METHODS
Eight-seven outpatients were selected at the asthma unit of the Gaffrée Guinle University Hospital (HUGG). Each patient underwent spirometry, electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram (ECO) during the trial within a month maximum. Echocardiograph abnormalities found related to degree of asthma. Statistical analysis was made by nonparametric tests.


RESULTS
We found significant differences (p<or=0.05) for age, disease duration and haemoglobin saturation (SaO2) between the moderate and severe groups. In the sample a high prevalence of tricuspid insufficiency (41.4%) was identified.


CONCLUSIONS
ECO identified a series of abnormalities that were not always dependent on severity of disease. ECO can identify pulmonary hypertension through calculation of mean pressure of the pulmonary artery.
Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.
André Luís
AL
Mancini
Sonia
S
Regina da Silva Carvalho
Maria do Carmo
Mdo C
Valente de Crasto
Ricardo
R
Marques Dias
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography