Cardiac Arrhythmias in Chronic Cor Pulmonale

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias are considered rare in chronic cor pulmonale. Of 122 patients with chronic cor pulmonale and no evidence of other etiologic forms of heart disease 47 had one or more arrhythmias, a total of 62 being observed in the group. The high prevalence of arrhythmias can readily be explained on theoretical grounds, particularly in the presence of infection, with its accompanying broncho-spasm, hypoxia and hypercapnia.