Research Information System
Life Science Journal-Acta Zhengzhou University Overseas Edition, vol.10, no.2, pp.1688-1694, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
The relationship between echocardiographic pulmonary steam velocity, respiratory functional tests and
nocturnal oxygen desaturation in COPD patients
Aziz Gumus, Halit Cinarka, Servet Kayhan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, School of Medicine, Department of Chest Disease, Rize, Turkey
Email: kayhanservet@gmail.com
Abstract: The aim of the study is to investigate the relationships between nocturnal oxygen desaturation levels and
echocardiographic findings to diagnose earlier the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH) in chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) and without daytime hypoxemia. We studied 55 consecutive patients with COPD (62.67
± 8.20 years, 5 females) admitting our outpatient clinic and having consented to participate. All patients underwent
routine biochemical, hematologic, thyroid function tests and chest x-ray. Spirometric tests, carbonmomoxide
diffusion capacities, nocturnal sleep oxygen saturation level measures and 6 minute walking tests were performed to
all patients. Systolic pulmonary steam velocity with pulsed–waved doppler and pulmonary artery pressures (PAP) of
the patients were measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Thirty of the patients were found to have a normal
PAP and 25 of them were found to have a high levels. A significant difference was determined between two groups
in the terms of Pa02 (p=0.030), DLCO (p=0.009), percent sleep time spent with SaO2 <90% (TST90), (p<0.0001), the
thickness of right ventricle (p<0.0001), minimum Sa02 levels in sleep (p=0.0009), mean Sa02 levels (p<0.0001) and
the frequencies of nocturnal desaturations (p=0.030). PH was detected more frequently (11/12,:92%) among COPD
patients with longer TST90 levels than 20% of total sleep time. As a conclusion, PH is a common clinical entity
particularly among the patients having more frequent and longer nocturnal desaturation episodes. Observations of
nocturnal oxygen desaturation on COPD patients may be a diagnostic tool to anticipate PH and to influence
survivals.
[Aziz Gumus, Halit Cinarka, Servet Kayhan. The relationship between echocardiographic pulmonary steam
velocity, respiratory functional tests and nocturnal oxygen desaturation in COPD patients. Life Sci J
2013;10(2):1688-1994]. (ISSN:1097-8135).http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 237
Keywords: nocturnal desaturation, pulmonary hypertension, echocardiography, COPD, oxygen saturation