[Contractility parameters of the right heart in patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases without pulmonary...

By means of the radionuclide ventriculography certain contractility parameters of the right heart are presented in 15 patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis without pulmonary hypertension. The results confirm that also without increase of the pulmonary arterial blood pressure the ejection fraction of the right ventricle in rest is decreased in possible dependence upon the size hypoxaemia. The increase of the ejection fraction of the right ventricle under stress is insufficient in 7 out of 15 patients, in which case a connection with the left-ventricular ejection fraction is observed. A characteristic valuation of the right- and left-ventricular ejection fraction for pathophysiology and prognosis of the pulmonary heart disease is discussed. The necessity of further investigations is emphasized.