PULMONARY HEART DISEASE

also called Cor Pulmonale, enlargement and eventual failure of the right ventricle of the heart because of disorders of the lungs, or of the blood vessels of the lungs or because of abnormalities of the chest wall. The most common causes of chronic cor pulmonale are chronic bronchitis and emphysema, an abnormal distension of the lungs with air. The condition is such that the network of capillaries in the lungs is progressively destroyed, causing pressure in the pulmonary arterythe artery carrying blood from the right ventricle to the lungsto be increased. The resultant back pressure on the right ventricle increases the work and the size of the chamber, leading to heart enlargement and eventually, if uncorrected, heart failure. Acute cor pulmonale may be produced by an embolism, such as a blood clot, in a pulmonary vessel. A person with pulmonary heart disease has a chronic cough, experiences difficulty in breathing after exertion, wheezes, and is weak and easily fatigued. Fluid may collect in the legs; pain may be felt in the right upper portion of the abdomen; digestive disturbances may be noted; the neck veins are distended; and the fingertips may be clubbed. Treatment of the acute form of the disease is often by removal of the pulmonary blockage. Treatment of chronic cor pulmonale includes the use of antibiotics to combat respiratory infection and the use of a respirator to ease the sufferer's breathing, the restriction of sodium intake, and administration of diuretics and digitalis.