title: A new simplified method for calculating mean mitral pressure gradient.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mean mitral valve pressure gradient (MVPG) is one of the key measures of the severity of mitral stenosis. The method for calculating MVPG, however, is complex and time consuming. The purpose of this study is to establish a new simple method for calculating MVPG.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hemodynamic data were analyzed in 105 patients who underwent percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV). A new simplified method for calculating mitral pressure gradient was proposed, i.e., mean MVPG = MLAP - LVEDP/2, where MLAP is mean left atrial pressure, and LVEDP is left ventricular end-diastolic pressure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MVPGs derived from the standard and the new method were 13.28 +/- 7.42 mm Hg and 13.50 +/- 7.93 mm Hg, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the values of these two methods (P = 0.065). The MVPG derived from the new simplified method correlated closely with that calculated by the standard approach (r = 0.975, P < 0.001). Moreover, there was no significant difference between mitral valve areas (MVA) derived from the standard and the new approach either before or after PBMV in the 38 patients in whom cardiac output was measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that mitral pressure gradient can be calculated reliably with our new simplified method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China. cuiwei@medmail.com.cn
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Ruping
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Gejun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index