Measurement of the Tei index: a comparison of M-mode and pulse Doppler methods.
BACKGROUND
The Tei index is a useful echocardiographic measure of ventricular function in adults and children. Most studies have used pulse or tissue Doppler imaging to calculate this index. M-mode, with its higher frame rate and sharp deflections, may be an accurate method of calculating the Tei index.


METHODS
M-mode and pulse Doppler (PD) measurement of the Tei index were performed in 68 children. The mitral closure to opening time ("a") and ejection time ("b") intervals for calculating the Tei index were measured by M-mode and PD methods.


RESULTS
Both M-mode and PD were found to be reproducible methods of calculating the Tei index. There was a close correlation between measurements of the "a" and "b" intervals by M-mode and PD, with less variability with M-mode than with PD.


CONCLUSIONS
M-mode is a simple, reproducible echocardiographic alternative method for calculating the Tei index in children and has a lower variance than PD.
Tham
Edythe B C
EB
Pediatric Echocardiography Division, Pediatric Cardiology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, USA.
Silverman
Norman H
NH
D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology*