Abstract
Often it is difficult to distinguish the underlying pathology of dyspnea, from
chronic heart failure (CHF) or from other respiratory causes. As most of the clinical findings in cardiac failure are related to pulmonary involvement, physical findings are usually similar in both conditions.
Aim: To exclude concomitant obstructive lung diseases in patients with IHD hospitalized due to worsening of dyspnea.
Materials: 100 patients with IHD (age – 67,3±7,4 yrs, male – 33 (33%), female 77 (77%) who were hospitalized with breathlessness. Mean duration of IHD 17,4±1,5 yrs.
Methods:Measurements included clinical status, MRS dyspnea scale,spirometry with reversibility test, X-ray for pulmonary evaluation.
Results: All the patients had moderate or severe dyspnea (grade 2–4) due to MRS dyspnea scale. According to investigation the external respiration function 61 (61%) patients hadn't any violation in spirometry, 39 (39%) had newly detected airflow obstruction. These 39% participants also had risk factors for respiratory diseases such as cigarette smoking, obesity and occupational hazards. Among 39 patients, 24 (61,5%) had only a reduced FEV1/FVC ratio (0,66±0,05) in combination with a normal value of FEV1% pred. (85,51±11,42). 15 (38,5%) patients had reduced both FEV1 % pred. (63,68±8,32) and FEV1/FVC ratio (0,6±0,08), who were newly diagnosed COPD, which can impact on IHD and leads to worsening of dyspnea.
Conclusion: About 40% patients of elderly groups with IHD, who were hospitalized with worsening of dyspnea had concomitant obstructive lung diseases. Every third patient had COPD, which hadn't been diagnosed earlier.
- © 2014 ERS