title: The time interval between the onset of tricuspid E wave and annular Ea wave (TE-Ea) can predict right atrial pressure in patients with heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is conflicting data regarding the tricuspid annular velocities and their relation to right ventricular filling pressures. We aimed to assess if the time interval between the onset of tricuspid E wave and annular Ea wave has any correlation with right sided filling pressure in patients with heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty heart failure patients (left ventricular ejection fraction≤35%) were enrolled. Echocardiography was performed to obtain tricuspid inflow and tissue Doppler annular velocities just before a standard right heart catheterization. The right atrial pressure was obtained from right heart catheterization. The E/Ea [the ratio of peak velocity of early tricuspid inflow wave (E) to peak velocity of early diastolic wave of the lateral tricuspid annulus (Ea)] and the time intervals between the beginning of R wave of electrocardiogram and onset of E (TE) as well as between the beginning of R wave and onset of Et (TEa) were measured, TE-Ea was calculated as TE-TEa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean right atrial pressure (RAP) was 8.8 (SD=4.7) mm Hg. The mean TE-Ea was + 8.61 milliseconds. There was no significant correlation between RAP and E/Ea (r=0.08, p>0.05) but the correlation between TE-Ea and RAP was significant (r=0.5, p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our results and in contrary to some prior studies, we showed for the first time that right side TE-Ea stands as a better surrogate of right atrial pressure than E/Ea in heart failure patients. This finding needs more accurate studies and could present TE-Ea as a feasible tool to look into hemodynamics of heart failure patients.
authors.affiliation: Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran-Iran. naderi.nasim@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nasim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naderi
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Zahra Ojaghi
authors.initials: ZO
authors.lastname: Haghighi
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esmaeilzadeh
authors.forename: Hooman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bakhshandeh
authors.forename: Sepideh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taghavi
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maleki
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*