Pulmonary Heart Disease
Cor pulmonale is a medical term used to describe a change in structure and function of the right ventricle of the heart as a result of a respiratory disorder. RVH (right ventricular hypertrophy) is the predominant change in chronic cor pulmonale, however in acute cases dilation dominates. Both hypertrophy and dilation are the result of increased right ventricular pressure. Dilation is essentially a stretching of the ventricle, the immediate result of increasing the pressure in an elastic container. Ventricular hypertrophy is an adaptive response to a long-term increase in pressure. Additional muscle grows to allow for the increased force in contraction required to move the blood against greater resistance. To be classified as cor pulmonale, the cause must originate in the pulmonary circulation. Vascular remodelling of the pulmonary circulation as a result of tissue damage (causes including disease, hypoxic injury, chemical agents, etc.) or chronic hypoxic vasoconstriction are two major causes. RVH due to a systemic defect is not classified as cor pulmonale.
Pulmonary TreatmentElimination of the cause is the most important intervention. In pulmonary embolism, thrombolysis (enzymatic dissolution of the blood clot) is advocated if there is dysfunction of the right ventricle. In COPD, long-term oxygen therapy may improve cor pulmonale. Cor pulmonale may lead to congestive heart failure (CHF), with worsening of respiration due to pulmonary edema, swelling of the legs due to peripheral edema and painful congestive hepatomegaly. This situation requires diuretics (to decrease strain on the heart), sometimes nitrates (to improve blood flow) and occasionally inotropes (to improve heart contractility). CHF is a negative prognostic indicator in cor pulmonale. |
COPD & Pulmonary Heart Disease
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COPD InformationCOPD develops slowly, and it may be many years before you notice symptoms like feeling short of breath. Most of the time, COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged or older people. COPD is a major cause of death and illness, and it is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and throughout the world. There is no cure for COPD. The damage to your airways and lungs cannot be reversed, but there are things you can do to feel better and slow the damage. COPD is not contagious—you cannot catch it from someone else.tive prognostic indicator in cor pulmonale.
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COPD TreatmentChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease in which the lungs are damaged, making it hard to breathe. In COPD, the airways—the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs—are partly obstructed, making it difficult to get air in and out. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of COPD. Most people with COPD are smokers or former smokers. Breathing in other kinds of lung irritants, like pollution, dust, or chemicals, over a long period of time may also cause or contribute to COPD.
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