Frequency and clinical characteristics of pulmonary hypertension in patients with bronchiectasis in Port Sudan

Research Article
Dr. Murwan M.saeed Dr. Osman Elshafee and Dr. Mohammed QorashiAhmed
DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.20231411.0820
Subject: 
Pulmonologist
KeyWords: 
Frequency, Clinical, Characteristic, Pulmonary. Hypertension. Bronchiectasis
Abstract: 

Background: Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease characterized by persistent and lifelong widening of the bronchial airways and weakening of the function mucociliary transport mechanism owing to repeated infection contributing to bacterial invasion and mucus pooling throughout the bronchial tree. Pulmonary hypertension, as a complication of bronchiectasis, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Objectives: to assess the frequency and clinical characteristic of pulmonary hypertension in patients with bronchiectasis. Method: A descriptive cross sectional hospital based study was conducted in Port Sudan teaching hospital, Red Sea state, Sudan from September 2021 to December 2021 and covered all patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis attended the chest clinic. Data entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Results: This study covered 43 participants (patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis) with mean age of 49.7 ± 14.4 years and male: female ratio of almost 1:1. Clinically, the most common reported presentations were cough 42 (97.7%), finger clubbing 33 (76.7%), shortness of breath 323 (74.4%), and chest pain 29 (67.4%). The study showed that smokers were 10 (23.3%), HIV infection was 4 (9.3%), and 33 (76.7%) had positive history of pulmonary tuberculosis. The most common reported comorbidities were diabetes mellitus 5 (11.6%), hypertension 3 (7%), rheumatoid arthritis 2 (4.7%), Kyphoscoliosis 2 (4.7%), Cystic Fibrosis 2 (4.7%) and Aspergilloma 1 (2.3%). In regard to the ejection fraction, the study reported normal EF among 35 (81.4%), and severe among only 1 (2.3%). The frequency of pulmonary hypertension was 13 (30.2%). More than half of them were moderate 7 (53.8%), and severe 2 (15.4%). The study found that the occurrence of palpitation, syncope, lower limb edema, and (MRC) dyspnea scale were significantly increased with the occurrence of pulmonary hypertension (p values < 0.05 in all). Conclusion: Our study concluded that the frequency of pulmonary hypertension among patients with bronchiectasis was considerable significant and should not be ignored, as it exacerbates and worsening the symptoms. Therefore, care should be taken to close follow-up and early diagnosis V to reduce the occurrence of pulmonary hypertension among this group of patients and improve their outcome in Sudan.