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Published on: February 3, 2014
How best to assess right ventricular function by echocardiography
Michael P DiLorenzo1, Shivani M Bhatt1, Laura Mercer-Rosa1
1Division of Cardiology,The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,United States of America.
Insights
Accurate assessment of right ventricular function in pediatric heart disease is vital for patient outcomes. Echocardiography provides key measures for evaluating systolic and diastolic performance, guiding interventions and improving follow-up care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Right ventricular (RV) function significantly impacts long-term outcomes in children with heart disease.
- Conditions like single or systemic RV, tetralogy of Fallot, and pulmonary arterial hypertension frequently involve the RV.
- Early identification of impaired RV performance allows for timely clinical intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current echocardiographic methods for quantifying RV systolic and diastolic function in pediatric patients.
- To highlight the clinical application of these measures for patient management and follow-up.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive review of echocardiographic indices for RV function assessment.
- Discussion of the practical application of these indices across various pediatric cardiac conditions.
- Emphasis on combining multiple measures for accurate quantification.
Main Results:
- Echocardiography offers robust methods for quantifying RV systolic and diastolic performance.
- Quantitative RV assessment is crucial for individual patient monitoring and prognosis.
- A combination of measures, tailored to specific disease states, is recommended.
Conclusions:
- Routine quantification of RV function using echocardiography is essential in pediatric cardiology.
- Continuous quality improvement and adoption of advanced techniques like 3D echocardiography are necessary for optimizing RV assessment.
- Accurate RV function assessment aids in personalized patient care and improved outcomes.
Abstract:
Right ventricular function is a crucial determinant of long-term outcomes of children with heart disease. Quantification of right ventricular systolic and diastolic performance by echocardiography is of paramount importance, given the prevalence of children with heart disease, particularly those with involvement of the right heart, such as single or systemic right ventricles, tetralogy of Fallot, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Identification of poor right ventricular performance can provide an opportunity to intervene. In this review, we will go through the different systolic and diastolic indices, as well as their application in practice. Quantification of right ventricular function is possible and should be routinely performed using a combination of different measures, taking into account each disease state. Quantification is extremely useful for individual patient follow-up. Laboratories should continue to strive to optimise reproducibility through quality improvement and quality assurance efforts in addition to investing in technology and training for new, promising techniques, such as three-dimensional echocardiography.
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