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

Abstract

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.