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Quantitative evaluation of left ventricular systolic function by Doppler echocardiographic techniques
1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|April 8, 1994
Summary
Doppler echocardiography noninvasively measures blood flow, providing key hemodynamic data for left ventricular systolic function. This accurate, reproducible method should be routine for cardiac disease assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Hemodynamics
Background:
- Assessing left ventricular systolic contractility traditionally required invasive methods like cardiac catheterization.
- Noninvasive techniques for evaluating cardiac function were limited or cumbersome.
- Doppler echocardiography offers a noninvasive alternative for hemodynamic assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the utility of Doppler echocardiography in assessing left ventricular systolic contractility.
- To highlight the ability of Doppler echocardiography to derive quantitative hemodynamic information.
- To advocate for the routine integration of Doppler echocardiography in cardiac patient assessment.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Doppler echocardiography to measure blood flow velocities noninvasively.
- Applying hydraulic principles to calculate volumetric flow rates, stroke volume, and cardiac output.
- Analyzing mitral regurgitation velocity curves to determine the rate of left ventricular pressure rise.
- Measuring acceleration time from ascending aortic velocity for myocardial force indication.
- Obtaining systolic time intervals from standard Doppler tracings.
Main Results:
- Doppler echocardiography accurately measures blood flow velocities, yielding powerful hemodynamic insights.
- Stroke volume and cardiac output can be determined noninvasively using Doppler-derived flow rates.
- Mitral regurgitation velocity curves provide a non-ejection phase index of systolic contractility.
- Acceleration time serves as an indicator of maximum myocardial force.
- Systolic time intervals are quickly and accurately obtainable via Doppler tracings.
Conclusions:
- Doppler echocardiography provides accurate and reproducible quantitative measurements of left ventricular status.
- These measurements offer valuable hemodynamic information previously only available through invasive procedures.
- Routine noninvasive assessment of cardiac disease patients should incorporate these Doppler-derived parameters.