Frequency Of Different ECG Findings In Patients Presenting With Copd At Tertiary Care Hospital

Original Article

Abstract

Background: COPD is a major respiratory illness that is usually associated with cardiovascular diseases. COPD is characterized by chronic hypoxia and pulmonary hypertension that leads to these cardiac abnormalities; electrocardiography (ECG) is used to diagnose these complications.

Objectives: The aims of the present study were as follows: To investigate the prevalence and pattern of ECG abnormalities in patients with COPD, and to identify the relationship between the ECG manifestations and the severity of the disease.

Study Design : A Cross sectional study

Place and Duration of study: From 1 June 2024 to 30 November 2024 General Medicine Department, Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta.

Methods: The current study employs an exploratory cross sectional descriptive design which included 120 patients with confirmed COPD from a tertiary care hospital. Baseline 12-leads ECGs were done in all patients. Statistics were performed with ECG abnormalities’ frequency counts and comparison of their distribution with COPD severity with and without SD and p-values. ECG outcomes were explained by cardiological specialists.

Results: Of 120 patients, 65% were male; their mean age was 63.5 ± 7.4 years. The ECG changes consisted of right atrial enlargement in 32 out of 70 of the study participants, right ventricular hypertrophy in 20, and arrhythmias in ten participants. The mean of the control QRS duration was 0.09 ± 0.02s. COPD severity was correlated with right ventricular hypertrophy using Pearson correlation analysis test; p < 0.05. It ranged between 0.01 to 0.03 for variability of ECG findings and p < 0.05 for all measures indicating statistical correlations between ECG abnormalities and severity of COPD.

Conclusions: COPD is known to produce multiple ECG changes, the most frequent of which include right ventricular hypertrophy and right atrial enlargement. Indeed there is a strong positive correlation between the ECG compressed clinical severity and therefore, cardiovascular examination should be conducted on patients with COPD more often.

Keywords: COPD, ECG, cardiovascular, pulmonary hypertension