Ultrasound Assessment of Diaphragmatic Thickness in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients as a predictor for Disease Severity

Abstract

Background and objectives: COPD patients usually had an imbalance in the load/capacity ratio of the respiratory muscles. This study aimed to use of ultra-sonographic (U/S) techniques for the assessment of diaphragmatic thickness of the diaphragm (TD) at different lung volumes in COPD patients, and its relation with severity of the disease.Methods A Case control study conducted on 100 subjects at outpatient clinics of Benha University Hospitals and Kafrelsheikh University Hospitals during the period from (March, 2020) to (January, 2010); 80 patients with clinically stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), were diagnosed and classified into four groups according to GOLD 2020: Group A COPD): 20 cases, Group B COPD): 20 cases, Group C COPD): 20 cases, Group D COPD): 20 cases. U/S was used for assessment of diaphragmatic thickness (TD) and diaphragmatic thickness fraction (TF) at different lung volumes in COPD subgroups, and correlated with severity of the disease and 20 apparent healthy control group.Results: In total 4 potentially relevant publications were included, the studies showed decrease in diaphragmatic thickness, thickness fraction and excursion in copd patients in comparison with normal subjects specially groups B and D COPD.CONCLUSION Ultrasound is anon invasive, simple and available bedside diagnostic tool for outpatient clinic examination of COPD patients for severity detection