title: Left ventricular atrioventricular plane displacement: an echocardiographic technique for rapid assessment of prognosis in heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prognostic value of atrioventricular plane displacement in heart failure patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were followed prospectively for one year after atrioventricular plane displacement determination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Malmö University Hospital, with a primary catchment area of 250,000 inhabitants.
  
  
  METHODS
  181 patients with a clinical diagnosis of heart failure; age 75.7 (SD 5.2) years, duration of heart failure 2.7 (5.7) years; 100 men, 81 women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mortality in relation to atrioventricular plane displacement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total mortality was 22.7% (41/181), and was highly significantly (P = 0.001) related to atrioventricular plane displacement. Mortality within prospectively defined categories of displacement was: > or = 10.0 mm, 0% (0/19); 8.2 to 9.9 mm, 10.3% (3/29); 6.4 to 8.1 mm, 19.4% (12/62); and < 6.4 mm, 36.6% (26/71). The groups were similar in age, sex, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and beta blocker treatment, and cause and duration of heart failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mortality in heart failure is strongly related to atrioventricular plane displacement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willenheimer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cline
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Erhardt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Israelsson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality