Abstract
Background:
Patients with COPD generally complain of very different degrees of dyspnea regardless of their pulmonary function. The study, we assessed the right ventricular ejection fraction in relation to dyspnea in COPD patient.
Methods:
The pulmonary function including the diffusion capacity was measured. The right ventricle ejection fraction (RVEF) was measured using a first-pass radionuclide scan by multigated acquisition (MUGA). Forty patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were stratified for dyspnea according to the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. Moderate dyspnea and severe dyspnea is defined as MRC 2/3 (n = 16) and MRC 4/5 (n = 24) respectively.
Results:
The baseline pulmonary function tests including DLCO and the resting arterial blood gas were similar in the moderate and severe dyspnea group, with the exception of the residual volume (% predicted) (moderate 160 ±27, severe 210 ±87, p < 0.03). The right ventricle ejection fraction was significantly (p < 0.001) lower in the severe dyspnea group (25 ±8) than in the moderate group (35 ±6). The independent factor assessed by multiple logistic regression revealed only the severity of dyspnea to be significantly associated with RVEF (p < 0.02).
REFERENCES
1.Celli BR., Cote CG., Marin JM., Casanova C., Montes de Oca M., Mendez RA, et al. The body-mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity index in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med. 2004. 350:1005–12.
2.Nishimura K., Izumi T., Tsukino M., Oga T. Dyspnea is a better predictor of 5-year survival than airway obstruction in patients with COPD. Chest. 2002. 121:1434–40.
3.Mahler DA., Harver A. A factor analysis of dyspnea ratings, respiratory muscle strength, and lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1992. 145:467–70.
4.Wegner RE., Jorres RA., Kirsten DK., Magnussen H. Factor analysis of exercise of exercise capacity, dyspnoea ratings and lung function in patients with severe COPD. Eur Respir J. 1994. 7:725–9.
5.Dodd DS., Brancatisano T., Engel LA. Chest wall mechanics during exercise in patients with severe chronic airflow obstruction. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1984. 129:33–8.
6.Hamilton AL., Killian KJ., Summers E., Jones NL. Muscle strength, symptom intensity, and exercise capacity in patients with cardiorespiratory disorders. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1995. 152:2021–31.
7.Montes de Oca M., Rassulo J., Celli BR. Respiratory muscle and cardiopulmonary function during exercise in very severe COPD. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1996. 154:1284–9.
8.Marin JM., Montes de Oca M., Rassulo J., Celli BR. Ventilatory drive at rest and perception of exertional dyspnea in severe COPD. Chest. 1999. 115:1293–300.
9.Belman MJ., Botnick WC., Shin JW. Inhaledbron-chodilators reduce dynamic hyperinflation during exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1996. 153:967–75.
10.O'Donnell DE., Webb KA. Exertional breathlessness in patients with chronic airflow limitation: the role of lung hyperinflation. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1993. 148:1351–7.
11.Burrows B., Kettel LJ., Niden AH., Rabinowitz M., Diener CF. Patterns of cardiovascular dysfunction in chronic obstructive lung disease. N Engl J Med. 1972. 286:912–8.
12.Brent BN., Berger HJ., Matthay RA., Mahler D., Pytlik L., Zaret BL. Physiologic correlates of right ventricular ejection fraction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a combined radionuclide and hemodynamic study. Am J Cardiol. 1982. 50:255–62.
13.Burger W., Allroggen H., Kober G. Right ventricular volumes determined by computerized thermodilution in ischaemic heart disease: effect of exercise and nitroglycerin. Int J Cardiol. 1991. 33:33–41.
14.Dhainaut JF., Brunet F., Monsallier JF., Villemant D., Devaux JY., Konno M, et al. Bedside evaluation of right ventricular performance using a rapid computerized thermodilution method. Crit Care Med. 1987. 15:148–52.
15.Park HP., Park SH., Lee SW., Seo YW., Lee JE., Seo CK, et al. Change of lung volumes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with improvement of airflow limitation after treatment. Tuberc Respir Dis. 2004. 57:143–7.
16.Quanjer PH., Tammeling GF., Cotes JE., Pedersen OF., Peslin R., Yernault JC. Lung volumes and forced ventilatory flows: official statement of the European Respiratory Society. Eur Respir J. 1993. 6(Suppl 16):5–40.
17.Seo YW., Choi WI., Lee JE., Park HP., Ko SM., Won KS, et al. Importance of carbon monoxide transfer coefficient (KCO) interpretation in patients with airflow limitation. Tuberc Respir Dis. 2005. 59:374–9.
18.Sechtem U., Pflugfelder PW., Gould RG., Cassidy MM., Higgins CB. Measurement of right and left ventricular volumes in healthy individuals with cine MR imaging. Radiology. 1987. 163:697–702.
19.Brynjolf I., Kelbaek H., Munck O., Godtfredsen J., Larsen S., Eriksen J. Right and left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular volume changes at rest and during exercise in normal subjects. Eur Heart J. 1984. 5:756–61.
20.Kumar A., Anel R., Bunnell E., Habet K., Zanotti S., Haery C, et al. Pulmonary artery occlusion pressure and central venous pressure fail to predict ventricular filling volume, cardiac performance, or the response to volume infusion in normal subjects. Crit Care Med. 2004. 32:691–9.
21.Berger HJ., Matthay RA., Loke J., Marshall RC., Gottschalk A., Zaret BL. Assessment of cardiac performance with quantitative radionuclide angiocardiography: right ventricular ejection fraction with reference to findings in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Cardiol. 1978. 41:897–905.
22.Ellis JH Jr., Kirch D., Steele PP. Right ventricular ejection fraction in severe chronic airway obstruction. Chest. 1977. 71:281–2.
23.Mineo TC., Pompeo E., Rogliani P., Dauri M., Turani F., Bollero P, et al. Effect of lung volume reduction surgery for severe emphysema on right ventricular function. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002. 165:489–94.
24.Chaouat A., Bugnet AS., Kadaoui N., Schott R., Enache I., Ducolone A, et al. Severe pulmonary hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005. 172:189–94.
25.Kessler R., Faller M., Weitzenblum E., Chaouat A., Aykut A., Ducolone A, et al. ". Natural history" of pulmonary hypertension in a series of 131 patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001. 164:219–24.
26.Arcasoy SM., Christie JD., Ferrari VA., Sutton MS., Zisman DA., Blumenthal NP, et al. Echocardiographic assessment of pulmonary hypertension in patients with advanced lung disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003. 167:735–40.
27.Keller CA., Ohar J., Ruppel G., Wittry MD., Goodgold HM. Right ventricular function in patients with severe COPD evaluated for lung transplantation. Lung Transplant Group. Chest. 1995. 107:1510–6.
28.Mahler DA., Brent BN., Loke J., Zaret BL., Matthay RA. Right ventricular performance and central circulatory hemodynamics during upright exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1984. 130:722–9.
29.Matthay RA., Berger HJ., Davies RA., Loke J., Mahler DA., Gottschalk A, et al. Right and left ventricular exercise performance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: radionuclide assessment. Ann Intern Med. 1980. 93:234–9.
30.Olvey SK., Reduto LA., Stevens PM., Deaton WJ., Miller RR. First pass radionuclide assessment of right and left ventricular ejection fraction in chronic pulmonary disease: effect of oxygen upon exercise response. Chest. 1980. 78:4–9.
31.O'Donnell DE., Sanii R., Anthonisen NR., Younes M. Effect of dynamic airway compression on breathing pattern and respiratory sensation in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987. 135:912–8.
33.Harris P., Segel N., Green I., Housley E. The influence of the airways resistance and alveolar pressure on the pulmonary vascular resistance in chronic bronhcitis. Cardiovasc Res. 1968. 2:84–92.
34.Dinh-Xuan AT., Higenbottam TW., Clelland CA., Pepke-Zaba J., Cremona G., Butt AY, et al. Impairment of endothelium-dependent pulmonary-artery relaxation in chronic obstructive lung disease. N Engl J Med. 1991. 324:1539–47.
35.Peinado VI., Barbera JA., Ramirez J., Gomez FP., Roca J., Jover L, et al. Endothelial dysfunction in pulmonary arteries of patients with mild COPD. Am J Physiol. 1998. 274:L908–13.