The utility of newly derived Doppler echocardiographic variables in the diagnosis and management of patients with heart failure.
Doppler echocardiography, because of its noninvasive nature, is an ideal tool to evaluate patients with heart failure (HF), offering the potential to improve early identification and management of these patients. Although traditional Doppler indices have allowed characterization of diastolic filling abnormalities associated with various HF states, important limitations are recognized. More refined Doppler techniques such as analysis of color M-mode flow propagation velocity, tissue Doppler imaging, and strain parameters can add to the ability of the noninvasive laboratory to improve the identification and management of this group of patients. These newer techniques as well as the traditional Doppler assessment of transmitral left ventricular inflow and pulmonary venous inflow velocities are reviewed as methods to improve the diagnosis and management of patients with HF.
Feingold
Andrew D
AD
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Tighe
Dennis A
DA
Aurigemma
Gerard P
GP
Hill
Jeffrey C
JC
Vinch
Craig S
CS
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology