[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.
Service de Cardiologie, Hôpital Militaire, Tunis.
Wafa
W
Fehri
Sonia
S
Ammar
Najla
N
Rahal
Nadia
N
Barakett
Dakher
D
Lahidheb
Othman
O
Salah
Wafa
W
Haddad
Nadhem
N
Hajlaoui
Zahreddine
Z
Smiri
Hedi
H
Mhenni
Habib
H
Haouala
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