Assessment of RV Function in Patients of (COPD).
BACKGROUND
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has considerable effects on cardiac functions primarily affecting the pulmonary vasculature and then right ventricle along with left ventricle. One of the important causes of increased morbidity and mortality associated with COPD is cor pulmonale. Echocardiography provides a rapid, non-invasive method to evaluate cardiac changes. Our aim was to evaluate RVfunction in COPD as per guidelines of American Society of Echocardiography with an aim to find a simpler way of predicting cardiac morbidity.


METHODS
A cross sectional observational study was conducted on 17 COPD patients attending Respiratory Medicine outdoor of R. G. KAR Medical College, Kolkata, India, through history taking, clinical examination, PFT (PFT) and Echocardiography. Statistical analysis was done by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version-17.


RESULTS
Fractional area change of RV (FAC-%) was positively correlated with Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1) (r = 0.4879), FEV1/ Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) ratio (r = 0.5048) and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) (r = 0.5361). There was strong negative correlation of Systolic Pulmonary Artery Pressure (SPAP) with FEV1/FVC ratio (r = -0.5553) and PEFR (r = - 0.4604). Right Index of Myocardial Performance (RIMP) of right ventricle was negatively correlated with FEV1/FVC ratio (r = - 0.598), PEFR (r = - 0.619), Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF) 25-75 (r = -0.515). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) did not show any association with PFT parameters though it showed strong positive correlation with RV wall thickness.


CONCLUSIONS
This study substantiates that FAC% and RIMP can be vital prognostic factors for RV function apart from SPAP, TAPSE to define RV dysfunction and predict morbidity in COPD.
Post Graduate Trainee, Department of Physiology, R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital , Kolkata, India .
Maumita
M
Das
Assistant Professor, Department of Respiratory Medicine, R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital , Kolkata, India .
Sumit Roy
SR
Tapadar
Professor and Head, Department of Physiology, R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital , Kolkata, India .
Anil Baran Singha
AB
Mahapatra
Professor, Department of Cardiology, R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital , Kolkata, India .
Shankar Paul
SP
Chowdhury
DM-PDT, Department of Cardiology, R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital , Kolkata, India .
Subrata
S
Basu
(COPD); Cardiac complications; Echocardiography; FAC%; PFT; RIMP