A simple Doppler echocardiography method to evaluate pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in patients with atrial fibrillation.
OBJECTIVE
The accuracy of E/E' ratio has not been validated in atrial fibrillation (AF). The objective of this study is to compare the accuracy of the E/E' ratio averaged over a sample of 10 cardiac cycles and E/E' ratio obtained in the cycle with the longest RR interval for the estimation of wedge pressure in patients with AF using a simultaneous pulmonary artery occlusive pressure measured with a Swan-Ganz catheter.


METHODS
Twenty-four consecutive patients with AF with a Swan-Ganz catheter were recruited in this study. The majority of patients (92%) were in the early postoperative phase of cardiac surgery.


RESULTS
The best sensitivity and specificity was reached with E/E' ratio in the medial position using the one-beat method; E/E' ratio > or = 16 with one beat predicts a wedge pressure >15 mmHg with a sensitivity and specificity of 91% and 85%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Measuring E/E' ratio using the one-beat method is a simple and clinically accurate way to estimate wedge pressure in patients with AF.
Sénéchal
Mario
M
Quebec Heart Institute, Laval Hospital, Québec, Canada. mario.senechal@crhl.ulaval.ca
O'Connor
Kim
K
Deblois
Jonathan
J
Magne
Julien
J
Dumesnil
Jean-Gaston
JG
Pibarot
Philippe
P
Bergeron
Sébastien
S
Poirier
Paul
P
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure / Q000502:physiology*