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Evaluation of a noninvasive system for determining left ventricular filling pressure
G V R K Sharma1, Patricia A Woods, Costas T Lambrew
1Division of Cardiology, Medical Service, Veterans Affairs Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. gvrk_sharma@hotmail.com
Archives of Internal Medicine
|October 11, 2002
Summary
The VeriCor system offers a reliable, noninvasive method for measuring left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP). This new approach shows superior accuracy compared to traditional methods for assessing left ventricular failure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Diagnostic Tools
Background:
- Left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) is crucial for assessing left ventricular failure.
- Existing clinical and radiographic methods for estimating LVFP lack reliability.
- A noninvasive technique analyzing arterial pressure during the Valsalva maneuver shows potential for direct LVFP measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the VeriCor system's accuracy in directly measuring left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP).
- To compare VeriCor's noninvasive LVEDP measurements with simultaneous invasive measurements during left heart catheterization.
Main Methods:
- 57 patients undergoing elective heart catheterization were studied.
- Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and LVEDP were measured invasively.
- The VeriCor system was used to obtain noninvasive LVFP estimates via Valsalva maneuver.
Main Results:
- VeriCor measurements strongly correlated with catheter-measured LVEDP (r=0.86), similar to PCWP (r=0.81).
- VeriCor demonstrated superior predictive accuracy for LVEDP compared to PCWP.
- 84% of VeriCor measurements were within 4 mm Hg of catheter LVEDP, versus 41% for PCWP.
Conclusions:
- The VeriCor system is a dependable noninvasive tool for measuring LVFP.
- This noninvasive method provides accurate LVFP assessment, aiding in the diagnosis of left ventricular failure.