title: The impact of ultrasound contrast medium administration on the right ventricle in patients with heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of SonoVue™ on right ventricular (RV) dimensions and contractility in patients with heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 15 patients with heart failure and group B (control) of nine patients without heart disease. SonoVue was administered at low (2 ml) and high (4 ml) doses in both groups separately, in a random order. RV dimensions, contractility, peak systolic pressure gradient from tricuspid regurgitation (TRPG) and the time to maximal RV end-diastolic dimension (EDD), as well as the time for RV-EDD to return to the baseline value (recovery), were calculated in every cardiac cycle starting before the administration of SonoVue (baseline) until the recovery of RV-EDD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low-(group A, p<0.001 and group B, p<0.05) and high-dose (group A, p<0.0001 and group B, p<0.01) contrast infusion increased the RV-EDD compared to baseline values. TRPG increased significantly (p<0.05) in both groups, under low-as well as high-dose. In group A, high-dose compared to low-dose produced a significant delay in the time duration to max RV-EDD (p<0.05) and in the time to RV-EDD recovery (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The administration of SonoVue in patients with heart failure was followed by an acute, transient, dose-dependent increase in RV-EDD and TRPG, without any effect on RV contractility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Athens Medical School, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece. dimbramos@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bramos
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaladaridou
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skaltsiotis
authors.forename: Chrisanthi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trika
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Takos
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pamboucas
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kottis
authors.forename: Savvas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toumanidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000494:pharmacology; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects*; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride / Q000494:pharmacology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D017725:Ventricular Pressure
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride