[Diagnostic significance of various symptoms of right-ventricular insufficiency in patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis]

The paper is concerned with the results of echocardiography, Doppler cardiography, radionuclide investigation and direct pressure measurement in the peripheral vein in 22 patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis and 7 persons with normal bronchial permeability. It was shown that the diameter of the peripheral veins, the pressure and rate of the blood flow in them and liver enlargement in patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis depended, to a large extent, on respiratory fluctuations of intrathoracic pressure. A conclusion was made that peripheral vein swelling and liver enlargement which were considered to be common symptoms of the development of right ventricular insufficiency, resulted from an increase in intrathoracic pressure during exhalation making difficult blood venous return to the heart in patients with dramatic disorders of bronchial permeability.