Author/Authors :
دواچي ، بهروز نويسنده , , لاري، شهرزاد نويسنده M.Lari, Shahrzad , عطاران ، داوود نويسنده , , توحيدي ، محمد نويسنده Towhidi, Mohammad , غفرانيا، ليلا نويسنده Ghofraniha, Leila , اميني، مهناز نويسنده Lung and Tuberculosis Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, 91379-13316. Amini, Mahnaz , صالحي ، مريم نويسنده پژوهشكده صنايع رنگ ايران salehi, maryam , اسكندري، الهه نويسنده Resident of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Eskandari, Elaheh , كاملي يزدي، احسان نويسنده Resident of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Kamali Yazdi, Ehsan , موسوي، مهسا نويسنده ,
Abstract :
Introduction: Pulmonary hyperinflation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) can increase the breathing rate and reduce diaphragmatic movements by
pushing the diaphragms downward and limiting their movements; this, in fact, can affect the
breathing process. The purpose of this study was to compare diaphragmatic movements in
COPD patients and healthy ones and to evaluate the relation of diaphragmatic movements
and COPD severity in patients.
Materials and Methods: This cross- sectional study was performed in Ghaem hospital,
Mashhad Iran. Twenty-five COPD patients (case group) were selected, based on the inclusion
and exclusion criteria. The patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics along with
factors related to pulmonary function were recorded. Patients were referred for sonography
after pulmonary evaluation. The status of the left portal vein or one of its branches at the end
of a deep expiration and a deep inspiration was considered as a marker. Twenty-five healthy
non-smoker subjects, who were matched with the patients in terms of age and sex, were
studied as the control group for the comparison of sonographic findings of the diaphragms.
Results: The current study included 25 healthy subjects and 25 COPD patients, with the
mean age of 59.2±12 years; approximately 84% of the subjects were males. Evaluation of the
rate of diaphragmatic movements by sonography showed the mean of 42.08±12.15mm and
73.28±15.19mm in the case and control groups, respectively, which showed a statistically
significant difference between them (P=0.02). Statistical analysis indicated the relationship
between the rate of diaphragmatic movements with factors related to airway obstruction.
However, no relationship was observed between the rate of diaphragmatic movements and
the factors associated with pulmonary hyperinflation or air retention.
Conclusion: The rate of diaphragmatic movements as a parameter for determining exercise
capacity in COPD patients could help with a better understanding of activity limitations in
these patients.
