ABSTRACT
Background: Assessment of severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the cornerstone of therapy. Spirometric measurements have traditionally remained as the popular diagnostic tool of choice. Oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal cannot be assessed by Spirometry alone, especially during exercise. Therefore, we studied whether desaturation and hypercapnea occur in response to exercise in COPD patients. Aims and Objectives: To know whether bicycle pedaling as an exercise can unravel the gas exchange abnormalities and airflow limitation that might be precipitated by physical activity. This is done by estimating the changes in Oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, and by estimating the changes in Blood CO2 levels by capnography. Materials and Methods: Thirty stable COPD patients and controls were included for the study. Here we measured the change in oxygen saturation from rest to submaximal exercise (done using bicycle ergometry). Concomitantly, we measured the change in carbon dioxide levels of expired air from rest to submaximal exercise. Results: We found that COPD patients experience oxygen desaturation. ?SaO2 (difference between resting and exercise SaO2) was only 1% in controls whereas 8.86% in COPD. Hypercapnia occurred in response to a submaximal exercise in COPD patients (End tidal carbon dioxide of 48.87 mmHg). We also found that they become tachypneic and show greater degree of exhaustion. Conclusion: Our study points out that exercise-induced desaturation and hypercapnia are a definite occurrence in COPD patients. It is a marker of progressive disease. It can be used as a form of stress test for the pulmonary system.
ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic hypertension, cellular dehydration, features of renal failure, and lack of certain important electrolytes - all show an interconnected pattern of development during courses of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Aim and Objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the electrolytes changes in short-term, middle-aged Type 2 diabetics and in diabetics, also associated with primary hypertension so as to evaluate the association of diabetes and hypertension on electrolytes metabolism. Materials and Methods: In the present study, estimation of fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin was done by automatic analyzer. Similarly, serum electrolytes such as calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, and phosphorus were estimated in different groups in the central laboratory, using auto analyzer. Results: It is evident in the present study that serum sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, phosphorus, and glycosylated hemoglobin showed a statistical significant variation in hypertensive diabetics compared to control and other groups. Whereas, serum creatinine is unchanged in any group. However, all these variations are within the normal expected range of the parameters, studied. Conclusion: Variation observed with all the electrolytes even in the initial stage of treatment in hypertensive, diabetics, and in hypertensive diabetics, suggesting to maintain electrolytes balance by alteration in dietary habits to prevent their deficiency/excess in these patients. Providing magnesium supplementation to these patients in the early diagnose phase may prevent further complications related to it.