PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

CARDIAC MANIFESTATIONS

Abstract

Objective: To determine the cardiac manifestations in patients with pulmonary
tuberculosis. Study Design: Case series study. Period: Jan 2014 to June 2014. Setting:
Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad. Methods: All the patients presented with shortness of
breath, cough with sputum, fever, haemoptysis, anorexia and weight loss were recruited and
then the subjects with early morning sputum positive for acid fast bacilli and radiological lesions
suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis, of ≥20 years of age and either gender were enrolled and
entered in the study. The data was analyzed in SPSS 16 and the frequency and percentage was
calculated. Results: Total one hundred patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were evaluated
for cardiac manifestation during six months study period. The mean ±SD for age of patients
with pulmonary tuberculosis was 45.21±8.95. The mean age ±SD of patient with cardiac
manifestations was 48.95±5.53. The majority of the subjects were in 30-49 years age group
with male predominance (p<0.01). The electrocardiographic findings were observed in 72/100
(72%) patients whereas echocardiographic changes were observed in 50/72 (69.4%) patients
with pulmonary tuberculosis. The common ECG findings identified were tachycardia 30.5%,
P-pulmonale 12.5% and PR prolonged in 9.7% patients with tuberculosis whereas the common
echocardiographic findings noticed were pericardial effusion 42% and multiple abnormalities
in 24% subjects with tuberculosis. Conclusions: The sinus tachycardia, cor-pulmonale and
low voltage QRS complexes were predominant abnormalities on electrocardiograph whereas
pericardial effusion was the common abnormality on echocardiography in patients with
pulmonary tuberculosis.