title: Three echocardiographic methods in right ventricular function evaluation.
abstract: We employed two-dimensional echocardiography for the assessment of right ventricular (RV) volumes and/or function in a series of 44 patients. The results of three different echocardiographic approaches were compared with the data obtained from single-plane RV angiography following ultrasound within a 7-day interval. Only the echocardiographic area length method with two orthogonal imaging planes employed (apical 4-chamber and subcostal projections) yielded the beneficial results. The correlations between echocardiographic and angiographic RV volume estimates were rather high (end-diastolic volume: r = 0.83, end-systolic volume: r = 0.82, stroke volume: r = 0.81) and satisfactory in ejection fraction (r = 0.75). Using the method mentioned, the differentiation of patients with an angiographic evidence of RV failure (echocardiographic ejection fraction less than 0.55) from those without it was possible with a sensitivity of 0.68 and a specificity of 0.82. Concerning the clinical impact of the presented study, we can recommend the technique in question as a screening procedure for the detection of changes in RV function exceeding 12% (95% confidence limits).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiological Regulations, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niederle
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jezek
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jezková
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michaljanic
mesh_terms: D002932:Cineangiography; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*