title: [The non-invasive catheterization laboratory].
abstract: The objective of this review was to explore the clinical relevance of Doppler echocardiographic techniques in the evaluation of right and left ventricular function. It is well known that echocardiographic and Doppler analysis are able to provide information about several hemodynamic parameters, such as cardiac output, diastolic filling pressure, vascular resistances and pulmonary arterial pressures. This integrated approach, completely reliable and non-invasive, could allow to obtain useful information not only from a diagnostic and prognostic point of view but also for a potential therapeutic management, either pharmacological or surgical. This review summarizes the current knowledge and the emerging applications of echocardiographic and Doppler techniques focusing on the close correlation between Doppler-derived data and those coming from invasive techniques. On the basis of these evidences, the importance, even in daily clinical practice, of a non-invasive catheterization laboratory is clear and able to supply key information about ventricular function and, at the same time, to avoid expensive and unpleasant invasive procedures for patients.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari, Respiratorie e Morfologiche, I Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi "La Sapienza", Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico, 155 00161 Roma. susanna.sciomer@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sciomer
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galderisi
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Magrí
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goffredo
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ansalone
authors.forename: Frank Lloyd
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Dini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Salvo
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gallina
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montisci
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nistri
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondillo
authors.forename: Vitantonio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Bello
authors.forename: Paolo Nicola
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Marino
mesh_terms: D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans