17. Cor Pulmonale

Question 1

What is cor pulmonale?

Answer 1

Right heart failure caused by chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Question 2

What causes cor pulmonale?

Answer 2

Chronic lung disease
Pulmonary vascular disorders
Neuromuscular
Skeletal disorders

Question 3

What are the symptoms of cor pulmonale

Answer 3

dyspnoea, fatigue, syncope

Question 4

What are the sings of cor pulmonale

Answer 4

Cyanosis
Tachycardia
Raised JVP
RV heave
Pancystolic murmur
hepatomegaly
oedema

Question 5

What tests should be done on someone who has cor pulmonale?

Answer 5

Hb and heamatocrit (FBC- polcytheamia)
ABG
CXR
ECG

Question 6

What is the management of cor pulmonale?

Answer 6

Treat the underlying cause
treat respiratory failure- 24% oxygen in acute situations
LTOT for COPD
Give furosemide for cardiac failure
Venesection if heamatocrit >55%

Question 7

What diseases cause heart failure?

Answer 7

Lung diseases- COPD,bronchecstasis, severe chronic asthma

Pulmonary vascular disease- pulmonary emboli, vasculitis, ARDS

Neuromuscular disease- MND, myasthenia gravis

Skeletal abnormalites