Changes in left ventricular performance in patients with severe head injury during and after mild hypothermia.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate left ventricular (LV) performance in patients with severe head injury during and after mild hypothermia.


METHODS
Seven consecutive patients who underwent therapeutic mild hypothermia (age, 15 to 70 years; Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission, 4 to 8). LV performance was assessed by using M-mode, color tissue Doppler imaging tracings and pulsed Doppler echocardiography. LV contraction and relaxation were evaluated by using the peak velocity of LV posterior wall movement during systole (Smax) and diastole (Dmax), respectively, in addition to the conventional echocardiographic indices.


RESULTS
Mild hypothermia increased LV ejection time and reciprocally reduced LV filling period as indicated by temperature-dependent shortening of the early diastolic filling and the total diastolic inflow time. The indices depending on temporal factors such as ejection time, Smax, or Dmax were significantly affected by mild hypothermia, whereas those depending on spatial factors such as fractional shortening or stroke volume index were not. The attenuated Smax was compensated for the prolonged ejection time resulting in the relatively consistent fractional shortening regardless of body temperature. There was no compensatory mechanism for the decreased Dmax during diastole.


CONCLUSIONS
The effect of mild hypothermia seemed to be predominantly negatively chronotropic. LV diastolic function was more vulnerable to mild hypothermia than LV systolic function was.
Kuwagata
Y
Y
Department of Traumatology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Oda
J
J
Ninomiya
N
N
Shiozaki
T
T
Shimazu
T
T
Sugimoto
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001831:Body Temperature; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000628:therapy*; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology