title: Noninvasive evaluation of left ventricular function in chronic severe anemia.
abstract: Left ventricular function was evaluated noninvasively in cases of chronic severe anemia (CSA) by recording systolic and diastolic time intervals (STI and DTI). These time intervals were recorded in 38 patients with CSA (hemoglobin below 7 g%), without cardiac decompensation, and in 30 control subjects. STI and DTI were measured from the simultaneous recordings of the apexcardiogram, carotid arterial pulse, electrocardiogram and phonocardiogram. The left ventricular ejection time was significantly prolonged (p less than 0.02), and associated with marked shortening of the PEP and reduction of the PEP/LVET ratio (p less than 0.001 in each case) in cases of CSA as compared to controls. Regarding the DTI, there was significant shortening of total filling time, slow filling time (p less than 0.001 in each case) and atrial systole (p less than 0.01) with no appreciable change in rapid filling time and isovolumic relaxation time. The SFT/RFT ratio and a/H ratio (the amplitude of the a-wave relative to the total height of the apexcardiogram) showed significant reductions (p less than 0.001 in each case). These changes in STI and DTI indicate enhanced left ventricular performance during diastole followed by faster and more complete relaxation during diastole in CSA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical College, Rohtak, India.
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003971:Diastole; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors