title: Transthoracic echocardiography in women with treated severe pre-eclampsia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate cardiac function and haemodynamic indices using transthoracic echocardiography in women with severe pre-eclampsia who had already received treatment interventions. Fifteen women with treated severe pre-eclampsia were studied using transthoracic echocardiography. Mean (SD) cardiac output in women with treated disease was 5690 (1708) ml.min(-1). Systolic function was preserved in women with treated disease evidenced by mean (SD) fractional shortening 41 (9)%, fractional area change 62 (12)% and septal s' velocities 9.0 (2.1) cm.s(-1). Left ventricle end-diastolic diameters were within healthy reference ranges at 4.7 (0.3) cm and the left ventricle was not dilated. Diastolic function was reduced, with a mean (SD) mitral valve E/septal e' ratio of 12.6 (4.1). Left ventricular mass was increased at 182.0 (44.4) g. There was large variability in haemodynamics in women with treated severe pre-eclampsia. Transthoracic echocardiography is acceptable and applicable and enables quantification of cardiac function in women with severe pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Director of Anaesthesia Research, Department of Anaesthesia, The Royal Women's Hospital Parkville, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Pharmacology and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology