Validation of an echocardiographic wall motion index in heart failure due to ischaemic heart disease.
OBJECTIVE
The echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by geometric methods is limited in many patients because of inadequate views and also in the presence of regional wall motion abnormalities due to ischaemic heart disease (IHD). This study aimed to examine the application of a wall motion index (WMI) method, using a nine-segment LV model in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) due to IHD.


RESULTS
Echocardiography was performed in 71 consecutive subjects with CHF due to IHD. WMI could be derived in 70 subjects (99%). The inter-observer variability (repeatability coefficient) of WMI was 0.66, i.e. LVEF+/-20%. In 66 subjects, LVEF was measured, within 4 weeks, using radionuclide ventriculography (RNV-EF). The inter-observer variability of RNV-EF was +/-3.1%. Using the mean of two observations for each method, the Bland-Altman range of agreement for LVEF was 26% (+/-13%).


CONCLUSIONS
WMI is a widely applicable echocardiographic method for assessing LV systolic function and has moderate agreement with RNV-EF. Unlike RNV-EF, however, WMI is not likely to be a suitable method for the measurement of small, but prognostically important, changes in LV function that may occur in CHF.
McGowan
J H
JH
Department of Medical and Nuclear Cardiology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, G31 2ER, Glasgow, UK. jamesmcgowan@cableinet.co.uk
Martin
W
W
Burgess
M I
MI
McCurrach
G
G
Ray
S G
SG
McDonagh
T A
TA
Cleland
J G
JG
D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015635:Radionuclide Ventriculography; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology