Changes on Electrocardiographic Patterns and Associated Factors among Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients

Abstract

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable disease characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. The lungs and the heart are so closely interrelated organs that diseases of the one results in impaired functioning of the other. COPD induced cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are diagnosed by electrocardiogram (ECG) and other instruments. ECG is one of the basic diagnostic tools that uses in early screening of COPD associated systemic effect of CVDs. However, concomitant CVDs among COPD patients are not usually assessed by ECG in routine medical practice at the setup. Objective The present study aimed to explore and detect changes of ECG pattern, and determine the associated risk factors among COPD patients. Materials and Methods The study was conducted among COPD patients visiting chest clinic of Jimma Medical Center (JMC), Southwest Ethiopia; from May 18 to August 18, 2017 G.C. A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among 80 COPD patients; and investigations for 12 lead resting supine ECG as well as measurements of other variables were performed. The results of ECG patterns and other variables were entered into Epidata (3.1) and exported to statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) 20 for further analysis. Results Eighty COPD patients were enrolled in the study and the prevalence of abnormal ECG was 83.75% where arrhythmia accounted for 50%, atrial enlargement 48.8%, myocardial infarction (MI) 41.3%, axis deviation 35%, other ECG abnormalities (poor R-wave progression and low QRS amplitude) 35% and ventricular hypertrophy 15%. The identified associated factors with the abnormal ECG were less monthly income, smoking, hypoxia, male gender and severity of COPD with their specific adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% CI of 2.1(1.6-7.9), 2.2(1.5-8.6), 2.9(1.2-6.9), 3.1(1.5-23) and 3.2(2.0-8.4) respectively. Conclusion Routine ECG investigation should be performed at the setup to initiate early management of CVDs comorbidity for better prognosis among COPD as abnormal ECG is inevitable among them.

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Ischemic heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the topical problem of comorbidity in internal medicine

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Electrocardiographic Abnormalities in Patients With Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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