Cor Pulmonale

• Cor Pulmonale:

  • Widespread hypoxic vasoconstriction within lungs - to redirect blood from area of shunt to better ventilated areas of the lung
  • Leads to increased pulmonary vascular resistance
  • Right ventricle that pushes blood into pulmonary artery to lungs so increases resistance in pulmonary system, the right ventricle has to work harder to push blood into lungs, causing failure
• Cor Pulmonale - Clinical presentations:

  • also known as right ventricular failure, with a common cause being chronic respiratory disease
  • Ankle oedema - blood backs into right atrium, blood backs into inferior vena cava, down to ankle
  • Raised jugular venous pressure (JVP) - backing up of blood into right atrium then superior vena cava, shown by outstanding jugular vein