title: Doppler diastolic transmitral flow patterns in severe heart failure: response to controlled changes in filling pressure using intravenous isosorbide dinitrate.
abstract: Serial Doppler diastolic transmitral flow patterns were compared with simultaneous hemodynamic measurements in a homogeneous group of patients with severe (New York Heart Association class 4) heart failure who were receiving high dose (508 +/- 271 micrograms/min) intravenous isosorbide dinitrate. The Doppler tracing uniformly showed a severe restrictive pattern, with tall peak early diastolic filling (E) wave (84 +/- 12 cm/s), small late filling (A) wave (28 +/- 8 cm/s) and very high E/A ratio (3.2 +/- 0.8). Isosorbide dinitrate decreased wedge pressure and systemic vascular resistance by a third and increased cardiac index by more than 40%. Transmitral Doppler E/A ratio changed directly in relation to the changes in pulmonary capillary wedge (r = 0.85, p = 0.03) and right atrial pressure (r = 0.84, p = 0.03), indicating preload dependence of transmitral flow velocity, even in severe heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Lady Davis Carmel Hospital, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Makhoul
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hasanein
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dagan
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Halon
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007548:Isosorbide Dinitrate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D007548:Isosorbide Dinitrate