An alternative echocardiographic method to estimate mean pulmonary artery pressure: diagnostic and clinical implications.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluated an alternative echocardiographic method to calculate mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP).


METHODS
One hundred two patients were studied with simultaneous right-heart catheterization (RHC) and echocardiography. MPAP was calculated by adding the right ventricular-right atrial mean systolic gradient to right atrial pressure.


RESULTS
The mean difference between MPAP calculated using this method and RHC-derived MPAP was -1.6 mm Hg, less than that of traditional systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP; -6.4 mm Hg) and MPAP estimated using the pulmonary regurgitation method (-13.9 mm Hg). The median absolute percentage difference of the MPAP calculations relative to RHC was significantly less with this method than with the pulmonary regurgitation method (18% vs 71%; P < .001) and similar to the SPAP method (both 18%; P = .30).


CONCLUSIONS
MPAP calculated using the proposed method is as accurate as SPAP calculation and less variable than previous methods, thus allowing widespread clinical use.
Aduen
Javier F
JF
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Castello
Ramon
R
Lozano
Marcelo M
MM
Hepler
George N
GN
Keller
Cesar A
CA
Alvarez
Francisco
F
Safford
Robert E
RE
Crook
Julia E
JE
Heckman
Michael G
MG
Burger
Charles D
CD
D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity