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Doppler aortic flow velocity measurement in healthy children
1Department of Pediatrics, Ewha Womans University, College of Medicine and Mokdong Hospital, Seoul, Korea. sohn@mm.ewha.ac.kr
Insights
This study establishes normal Doppler echocardiography values for left ventricular function in healthy children. These findings provide crucial reference data for assessing hemodynamic states in pediatric cardiac disease.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Diagnostic Echocardiography
Background:
- Assessing left ventricular function in children is vital for diagnosing and managing cardiac conditions.
- Normal reference values for Doppler parameters are essential for accurate hemodynamic assessment in pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normal Doppler echocardiography values for left ventricular function in healthy children.
- To provide reference data for ascending aortic blood flow velocity and related parameters in pediatric subjects.
- To aid in the assessment of hemodynamic states in young children with cardiac disease.
Main Methods:
- Pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography was used to measure ascending aortic blood flow velocity.
- The study included 63 healthy children with a body surface area (BSA) < 1 m² (age < 10 years).
- Key parameters measured included peak velocity, acceleration, ejection time, stroke distance, and minute distance.
Main Results:
- Peak velocity was independent of sex but increased with body size.
- Mean acceleration showed a strong correlation with peak velocity (r = 0.75, p < 0.0001).
- Stroke distance and ejection time correlated negatively with heart rate and positively with BSA, indicating the need for normalization.
Conclusions:
- The study provides normal Doppler parameter values for pediatric left ventricular function.
- These reference values are valuable for evaluating hemodynamic status in children with cardiac conditions.
- Doppler parameters like stroke distance and ejection time should be interpreted in conjunction with heart rate and body size.
Abstract:
To determine normal values for Doppler parameters of left ventricular function, ascending aortic blood flow velocity was measured by pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography in 63 healthy children with body surface area (BSA) < 1 m(2) (age < 10 yr). Peak velocity was independent of sex, but increased with body size. Mean acceleration was related to peak velocity (r = 0.75, p < 0.0001). Both stroke distance and ejection time had strong negative correlations with heart rate and positive correlations with BSA, suggesting that these parameters should be evaluated in relation to heart rate and body size. Mean intra- and interobserver variability for peak velocity, ejection time, stroke and minute distance ranged from 3 to 7%, whereas variability for acceleration time was 9 to 13%. These data may be used as reference values for the assessment of hemodynamic states in young children with cardiac disease.