Cor Pulmonale Flashcards
What is cor pulmonale?
Right sided heart failure caused by respiratory disease
What is the most common cause of cor pulmonale?
COPD
What are other possible causes of cor pulmonale?
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Interstitial Lung Disease
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
What is cor pulmnonale due to?
increased pressure and resistance in the pulmonary arteries (pulmonary hypertension) results in the right ventricle being unable to effectively pump blood out of the ventricle and into the pulmonary arteries.
How does cor pulmonale usually present?
Asymptomatically
What is the main presenting complaint of someone with cor pulmonale?
Shortness of breath (as a result of the chronic lung disease)
How else can someone with cor pulmonale present?
Peripheral oedema
Breathlessness of exertion
Syncope
Chest pain.
What clinical signs might you see in someone presenting with cor pulmonale?
- Hypoxia
- Cyanosis
- Raised JVP
- Peripheral oedema
- Third heart sound
- Murmurs
- Hepatomegaly
What is a raised JVP due to in someone with cor pulmonale?
A back-log of blood in the jugular veins
Why might someone with cor pulmonale present with hepatomegaly?
Back pressure in the hepatic vein
What murmur might someone with cor pulmonale present with?
Pan-systolic in tricuspid regurgitation
What is the main aim in the management of cor pulmonale?
Treating the symptoms and the underlying cause.
What is usually used in the long-term management of someone with cor pulmonale?
Long term oxygen therapy
What is the prognosis for someone with cor pulmonale?
Poor unless there is a reversible underlying cause.
