Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
Published on: January 27, 2023
Assessment of myocardial function in preterm infants with patent ductus arteriosus using tissue Doppler imaging
Ravikumar Parikh1, Robert J S Negrine1, Ashish Chikermane2
11Department of Neonatology,Birmingham Women's Hospital NHS Trust,Birmingham,B15 2TG,United Kingdom.
Insights
Preterm infants with significant patent ductus arteriosus show impaired myocardial function. Tissue Doppler imaging is feasible for assessing cardiac function in these vulnerable infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal cardiology
- Pediatric echocardiography
- Cardiovascular physiology
Background:
- Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is common in preterm infants.
- Hemodynamically significant PDA can lead to cardiac dysfunction.
- Assessing myocardial function in preterm neonates is crucial for management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate myocardial function in preterm infants with varying degrees of PDA.
- To utilize tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) for assessing systolic and diastolic function.
- To correlate ductal patency with myocardial performance.
Main Methods:
- 72 preterm infants (<30 weeks gestation) were studied.
- Echocardiography with TDI performed on day 3.
- Infants categorized into hemodynamically significant PDA, PDA, and no PDA groups.
- Treatment with indomethacin for significant PDA, followed by repeat echocardiography.
Main Results:
- Infants with hemodynamically significant PDA had lower peak systolic/diastolic velocities and higher myocardial performance index (MPI).
- Post-indomethacin treatment showed improved myocardial velocities and reduced MPI in the significant PDA group.
- Infants with persistent PDA despite treatment exhibited worse myocardial function.
Conclusions:
- Hemodynamically significant PDA is associated with relative systolic and diastolic myocardial dysfunction in preterm infants.
- TDI is a feasible method for assessing myocardial function in this population.
- TDI may aid in the clinical management of PDA in preterm neonates.
Objective:
To assess myocardial function in preterm infants with different degrees of ductal patency in the first week of life using tissue Doppler imaging.
Study Design:
Infants <30 weeks of gestation underwent echocardiography on day 3. A total of 72 infants were recruited into the study and categorised into three groups (i) haemodyamically significant ductus arteriosus, (ii) patent ductus arteriosus and (iii) no patent ductus arteriosus. Those with haemodynamically significant ductus arteriosus were treated with indometacin and echocardiography was repeated after 48-72 hours following treatment. Peak systolic and diastolic myocardial velocities were obtained using tissue Doppler imaging, and myocardial performance index was calculated.
Results:
Initial myocardial velocities were significantly lower and myocardial performance index significantly higher in the haemodynamically significant ductus arteriosus group compared with other groups. For the haemodynamically significant ductus arteriosus group, post-treatment myocardial velocities were higher and myocardial performance index lower than pre-treatment.
Conclusion:
Preterm infants with haemodynamically significant ductus arteriosus had lower myocardial velocities and higher myocardial performance index, suggesting relative systolic and diastolic myocardial dysfunction. Babies whose patent ductus arteriosus remained open despite indometacin had lower pre-treatment myocardial velocities and higher myocardial performance index than those babies whose patent ductus arteriosus closed, suggesting worse myocardial function in this group. Measurement of myocardial function using tissue Doppler imaging in preterm infants is feasible and may prove to be helpful in the management of babies with patent ductus arteriosus.
More Related Videos
07:55Echocardiographic Characterization of Left Ventricular Structure, Function, and Coronary Flow in Neonate Mice
Published on: April 7, 2022
11:50High-frequency High-resolution Echocardiography: First Evidence on Non-invasive Repeated Measure of Myocardial Strain, Contractility, and Mitral Regurgitation in the Ischemia-reperfused Murine Heart
Published on: July 9, 2010