Left ventricular ejection fraction in severe chronic obstructive airways disease

Abstract The subject of left ventricular Involvement in chronic obstructive airways disease is controversial. We measured left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in 120 patients with severe chronic obstructive airways disease, 92 of them acutely decompensated and 28 stable. A bedside radionuclide technic using a scintillation probe was used to measure LVEF. Of the 92 patients with acute respiratory failure, LVEF was normal (≥55 per cent) in 60 and subnormal in 32. Of the 28 patients with stable chronic obstructive airways disease, LVEF was normal in 12 and low in 16. Coronary artery disease could be demonstrated clinically or at autopsy in 13 of the patients with acute and in 7 of the patients with stable chronic obstructive airways disease. LVEF was 28 ± 10.4 per cent (average ± SEM) in the patients with acute chronic obstructive airways disease and coronary artery disease which was significantly different (P