Speckle- Tracking Echocardiography for the Staging of Diastolic Dysfunction: The Correlation Between Strain-Based...

Left ventricular diastolic function can be assessed by various methods. Tissue Doppler imaging is among the most commonly used techniques. However, this imaging is angle- dependent, affected by loading conditions, and susceptible to myocardial tethering. Speckle- tracking echocardiography also can measure strain-based indices to assess diastolic function, and it has fewer limitations than tissue Doppler imaging. Using speckle- tracking echocardiography, the authors evaluated the correlation between the stage of diastolic dysfunction and strain-based indices in patients undergoing cardiac surgery to determine whether strain-based indices can be used intraoperatively to identify the extent of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Retrospective clinical study.

Single university hospital.

Fifty-eight patients undergoing cardiac surgery (December 2017 to December 2019).

None. Measurement and Main Result: Preoperative echocardiographic reports and intraoperative echocardiographic images of the participants were studied. The correlation between the stage of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and strain-based indices (including early diastolic peak longitudinal strain and tissue deceleration time) were evaluated. Early diastolic peak longitudinal strain rate significantly correlated with the stage of diastolic dysfunction (r = -0.7 and p < 0.0001). Tissue deceleration time significantly correlated with the stage of diastolic dysfunction in patients with diastolic abnormality (r = -0.4 and p = 0.02). When patients with normal diastolic function were included, this correlation was not significant (r= -0.25 and p = 0.05).

Intraoperatively measured early diastolic peak longitudinal strain rate and tissue deceleration time correlated with the severity of diastolic dysfunction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.