Alcohol and cor pulmonale in chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

The development of peripheral oedema is a major determinant of a poor prognosis in patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema' and, when unexplained by other medical conditions, is called cor pulmonale. Chan et al found that raised alcohol consumption was associated with hypercapnic respiratory failure in bronchitis patients.2 As oedematous patients with bronchitis tend to be hypercapnic, we have studied the relation between alcohol consumption and peripheral oedema in patiets with bronchitis.