[Chronic heart failure: role of Doppler echocardiography in the evaluation of mortality risk].
BACKGROUND
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite recent improvements in the management of this condition, the overall prognosis remains poor. Echocardiography is the most useful test in the evaluation of systolic and diastolic function and has also a prognostic value.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to determine echocardiographic predictors of mortality in patients with CHF.


METHODS
We followed 100 patients with a diagnosis of CHF over an average period of 44+/-40.5 months. We compared echocardiographic parameters in survivors and non survivors.


RESULTS
Four variables predicted death: LVEF <35% (p=0.001), TDE <150ms (p=0.001), E/A ratio >2 (p=0.05) and E/Ea ratio >10 (p=0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
Doppler echocardiography has a central role in the evaluation of patients with CHF. It provides valuable prognostic information by combination of several parameters.
Fehri
Wafa
W
Service de Cardiologie, Hôpital Militaire, Tunis.
Ammar
Sonia
S
Rahal
Najla
N
Barakett
Nadia
N
Lahidheb
Dakher
D
Salah
Othman
O
Haddad
Wafa
W
Hajlaoui
Nadhem
N
Smiri
Zahreddine
Z
Mhenni
Hedi
H
Haouala
Habib
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies