[Echocardiographic evaluation of pulmonary artery flow parameters in patients with chronic pulmonary disease]

This study aimed at comparing the Doppler echocardiographic artery blood flow parameters in patients with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and estimating an effect of the present degree of airway obstruction on systolic functioning of the right ventricle. The study included 28 patients with COPD, and 22 patients without COPD constituting a control group. Pulmonary functional tests have been performed with the use of body plethysmography. Doppler echocardiographic assessment of the pulmonary artery flow included a measurements the acceleration time (AcT), and right ventricular ejection time (RVET). Both AcT and RVET have been corrected for the heart rate. Corrected AcT shorter than 100 ms has been considered specific for the pulmonary hypertension (PH). AcT in the studied group of patients ranged from 67 ms to 143 ms (mean 106 +/- 21), and has been significantly shorter than that in the control group. However, no correlation between body plethysmographic findings and echocardiographic measurements has been found in COPD patients. Echocardiography is a sensitive technique detecting PH. As spirometric findings do not predict development of the cor pulmonale, Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of the blood flow in pulmonary artery may serve as a screening test.