title: Which Doppler parameters are load independent? A study in normal volunteers after blood donation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to assess the effects of blood donation on different echocardiographic parameters in healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 101 healthy male volunteers were evaluated by echocardiography before and immediately after a 500-mL blood donation. In addition to traditional Doppler indices of left ventricular filling, Doppler tissue, color flow propagation, strain (epsilon), and epsilon rate were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant decrease in mitral peak E and A values after blood donation (E wave 0.85 +/- 0.12 vs 0.79 +/- 0.14 cm/s, P = .01; A wave 0.65 +/- 0.10 vs 0.60 +/- 0.12 cm/s, P = .05). Mitral color flow propagation velocity was not affected (560 +/- 123 vs 571 +/- 132 mm/s, P = not significant). There were no significant differences in the Doppler tissue parameters of peak systolic, and early and late diastolic velocities after blood donation (Sm 13.5 +/- 4.6 vs 13.3 +/- 4.9 cm/s, P = not significant; Em 15.5 +/- 4.9 vs 15.9 +/- 5.1 cm/s, P = not significant; and Am 14.1 +/- 3.9 vs 14.1 +/- 3.5 cm/s, P = not significant, respectively). The peak systolic decreased significantly (-28 +/- 8% vs -21 +/- 4%, P = .03) whereas the peak systolic rate was not affected (1.5 +/- 0.35 vs 1.4 +/- 0.40 s(-1), P = not significant).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthy male volunteers, preload reduction induced by a 500-mL blood donation does not affect the color propagation velocity, rate, and Doppler tissue velocities.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. gulcanabali@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Gülcan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abali
authors.forename: Lale
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tokgözoğlu
authors.forename: Osman Ilhami
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Ozcebe
authors.forename: Kudret
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aytemir
authors.forename: Nasih
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nazli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016276:Ventricular Function; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*