Usefulness of transcutaneous Doppler jugular venous echo to predict pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients

Pulmonary hypertension is an important factor that determines the prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Echocardiography is a noninvasive and useful bedside method for measurement of pulmonary ar tery pressure, However, this method is sometimes difficult because of the o verinflated lungs in COPD patients. This study attempted to estimate pulmon ary hypertension in COPD patients using transcutaneous Doppler jugular vein flow velocity recording, The mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) of 61 COPD patients was examined using cardiac catheterization, The right jugular vein flow velocity was mea sured within 24 h using transcutaneous Doppler echo after which the ratio o f diastolic flow (Df) and systemic flow (Sf) velocity was calculated. Subse quently., the statistical correlation of MPAP and the Df/Sf ratio was exami ned, MPAP was also measured using standard cardiac echo methods and the res ults were compared, The Df/Sf velocity ratio showed significant correlation with RPAP in COPD p atients (r = 0.844, p < 0.0001), The sensitivity was 71.4%,, and the specif icity 95.3% (cut-off ratio = 1.0). Jugular venous Doppler echo could be per formed in all patients while other cardiac echo methods could not be perfor med in all patients. The specificity of the methods used was higher than ot her cardiac echo methods. Transcutaneous jugular vein flow velocity measurement may be applicable to bedside prediction of pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmona ry disease patients.