Ultrasound assessment of diaphragmatic dynamics in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after treatment with indacaterol/glycopyrronium

Abstract

Introduction: Air trapping is one of the main determinants of dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). An increase in air trapping leads to a change in the normal diaphragmatic configuration with associated functional impairment. Said deterioration improves with bronchodilator therapy. Chest ultrasound (CU) has been used to assess changes in diaphragmatic motility after short-acting bronchodilator therapy, but there are no previous studies on these changes after long-acting bronchodilator treatment.

Material and methods: Interventional prospective study. Patients with COPD and moderate to very severe ventilatory obstruction were included in the study. Diaphragm motion and thickness were assessed by CU before and after 3 months of treatment with indacaterol/glycopirronium 85/43 mcg.

Results: Thirty patients were included (56.6% men, mean age: 69.4 ± 6.2 years). Pre- and post-treatment diaphragmatic mobility measured during resting breathing, deep breathing, and nasal sniffing were 19.9 ± 7.1 mm and 26.4 ± 8.7 mm (p < 0.0001); 42.5 ± 14.1 mm and 64.5 ± 25.9 mm (p < 0.0001); and 36.5 ± 17.4 mm and 46.7 ± 18.5 mm (p = 0.012), respectively. A significant improvement was also found in the minimum and maximum diaphragm thickness (p < 0.05), but there were no significant changes in the diaphragmatic shortening fraction after treatment (p = 0.341).

Conclusions: Treatment with indacaterol/glycopyrronium 85/43 mcg every 24 hours for 3 months improved diaphragmatic mobility in patients with COPD with moderate to very severe airway obstruction. CU may be useful for assessing the response to treatment in these patients.

Keywords: COPD; Diaphragmatic excursion; EPOC; Excursión diafragmática; Ultrasonografía; Ultrasound.