RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Noninvasive and invasive evaluation of pulmonary arterial pressure in highlanders
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 352
OP 356
DO 10.1183/09031936.00137605
VO 29
IS 2
A1 B. K. Kojonazarov
A1 B. Z. Imanov
A1 T. A. Amatov
A1 M. M. Mirrakhimov
A1 R. Naeije
A1 M. R. Wilkins
A1 A. A. Aldashev
YR 2007
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/29/2/352.abstract
AB The purpose of the present study was to evaluate Doppler echocardiography for the detection of pulmonary hypertension in high-altitude inhabitants. In total, 60 (55 male) patients aged 18–71 yrs were recruited from an ECG screening programme applied to 1,430 inhabitants living at an altitude of 2,500–3,600 m in Kyrgyzstan. Of these, 44 met ECG criteria for right ventricular hypertrophy. All underwent Doppler echocardiography followed by a cardiac catheterisation within 7 days of arrival in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan; altitude 760 m). Pulmonary flow acceleration time and the maximum velocity of tricuspid regurgitation were measured. Sufficient quality tricuspid regurgitant jets were recovered in only 28% of the patients. Therefore, pulmonary artery pressure was estimated from the pulmonary flow acceleration time, which was recovered in 100% of the patients. It was found that 37 (62%) of the patients had pulmonary hypertension on echocardiography. Pulmonary hypertension was confirmed in 29 patients on catheterisation. Pulmonary hypertension was detected with 70% sensitivity and 88% specificity by echocardiography, as compared to 59% sensitivity and 81 % specificity by ECG. The correlation coefficient between echocardiography and catheterisation studies was r2 = 0.78. It is concluded that a combination of ECG and echocardiography may be useful for screening high-altitude pulmonary hypertension.