Related Experiment Videos
Evaluation of cardiac function by echo-Doppler studies in critically ill patients
M Goldstein1, J L Vincent, R J Kahn
1Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Belgium.
Intensive Care Medicine
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Pulsed Doppler in the left ventricular outflow accurately measures stroke volume in critically ill patients. Continuous Doppler in the suprasternal notch assesses left ventricular performance, aiding in critical care decisions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Accurate stroke volume (SV) measurement is crucial for managing critically ill patients.
- Echocardiography-Doppler techniques offer non-invasive methods for hemodynamic assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare echo-Doppler techniques with thermodilution for SV measurement in critically ill patients.
- To evaluate Doppler-derived indices of myocardial contractility in a specific patient subgroup.
Main Methods:
- Compared SV measurements from 2D-echocardiography, continuous Doppler, and pulsed Doppler against thermodilution in 116 critically ill patients.
- Measured peak aortic blood velocity (PABV) and acceleration (PABA) using Doppler in 12 patients with reduced ejection fraction before coronary artery bypass graft.
Main Results:
- Pulsed Doppler in the left ventricular (LV) outflow showed the best correlation with thermodilution for SV (r = 0.78, p < 0.001).
- Patients with impaired LV function exhibited decreased PABV and PABA compared to healthy volunteers, indicating reduced myocardial contractility.
Conclusions:
- Pulsed Doppler in the LV outflow is a reliable method for measuring SV in critically ill patients.
- Continuous Doppler from the suprasternal notch can assess LV performance and contractility.