COR PULMONALE

Definition

The W.H.O definition of pulmonary heart disease is Hypertrophy of  the right ventricle resulting from diseases affecting the function and/or the structure of the lung, except when these pulmonary alterations are the result of diseases that primarily affect the left side of heart or of congenital heart disease.”

Causes

1.     Chronic bronchitis with or with out emphysema.

2.     Generalized obstructive lung disease (without mention of emphysema) or asthma.

3.     Emphysema without mention of  bronchitis.

4.     Pneumoconiosis and other occupational diseases of the lung.

5.     Other diseases of the lung or pleura.

6.     Parasitic diseases affecting the lung.

7.     Chest deformities. Congenital or acquired.

8.     Thrombo-embolic diseases.

9.     Other diseases of blood or blood vessels.

10. Unspecified causes.

HAEMODYNICS

The normal palmary artery systolic/Diastolic and mean pressures average 16/7 10m.m of mercury, and the normal pulmonary venous pressure is 2 or 3 m.m of Hg. So that the driving pressure or gradient across the pulmonary vascular bed averages 7 to 8 m.m of mercury.

The resistance to flow through the vascular bed is called the pulmonary vascular residence (PVR) and may be calculated from the mean pulmonary artrial and venous pressures and the cardial output, since the easily obtained by cardiac catherusation. Assuming a normal cardiac output of 5 litres per minute. The normal pulmonary vascular resistance is less than 2 m.m of mercury per litre per minute.

Pressure

Resistance

In the above case.

Mean pulm art press- Mean left =Pam Pvm.(mm: Hg.) Artrial Pr:

(PVR) cardiac output (L/m)

10-2

or …………… = 1.6 m.m Hg. /L/Min

pulmonary hypertension is arbitransily defined as an elevation of pulmonary artery pressure exceeding 30/ 15. 20 m.m of mercury resistance is expressed as “Units” in m.m Hg./litre/min Narrowing of the pulmonary vascular bed by vasoconstriction or disease elevates the resistance and dilatation decreases it.

Normally pulmonary vessels contain 500 to 600 ml of blood about 90ml of which is in the pulmonary capillaries and approximately Two- Third of the entire amount is in the veins. The pulmonary vascular system has a relatively low compliance and thus total volume changes with little pressure changes.