title: Increased normalized pulmonary transit times and pulmonary blood volumes in cardiomyopathic cats with or without congestive heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate heart rate-normalized pulmonary transit times (nPTTs) in cardiomyopathic cats with or without congestive heart failure (CHF). To assess potential associations of echocardiographic variables and nPTT and to evaluate nPTT as a test for the presence of CHF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight privately owned cats.
  
  
  METHODS
  nPTT was measured using echocardiography and the ultrasound contrast media SonoVue(®) in 3 groups of cats: healthy cats (group 1), cats with cardiomyopathy (CM) but without CHF (group 2), and cats with CM and CHF (group 3). Interrelations between pulmonary blood volume (PBV), nPTT, stroke volume (SV), and echocardiographic variables were investigated by means of linear univariate and multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median nPTT values in group 1, group 2, and group 3 were 3.63 (interquartile range [IQR], 3.20-4.22), 6.09 (IQR, 5.0-7.02), and 8.49 (IQR, 7.58-11.04), respectively. Values were significantly different between all 3 groups. Median PBVs in group 1, group 2, and group 3 were 27.94 mL (IQR, 21.02-33.17 mL), 42.83 mL (IQR, 38.46-50.36 mL) and 49.48 mL (IQR, 38.84-64.39 mL). SV, PBV, and shortening fraction <30% were significant predictors of nPTT. nPTT and left atrial to aortic root (LA:AO) ratio, not SV, were the main predictors of PBV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  nPTT may be useful as a test for the presence of CHF in cats with CM and as a measure of cardiac performance. nPTT and LA:AO ratios predict CHF with equal accuracy. Increased PBV is significantly associated with higher nPTT and LA:AO ratios.
authors.affiliation: Traunkreis Vet Clinic, Tierklinik Sattledt, Kirchdorferstraße 7, 4642 Sattledt, Austria. Electronic address: office.sattledt@vetclinic.at.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Streitberger
authors.affiliation: Traunkreis Vet Clinic, Tierklinik Sattledt, Kirchdorferstraße 7, 4642 Sattledt, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Modler
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences, P.O. Box 7070, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Häggström
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000662:veterinary*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002415:Cats; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000494:pharmacology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride
keywords: Cardiac performance; Contrast agent; Echocardiography; Stroke volume