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Evaluation of left ventricular function in children. Description of the method and normal values
Scandinavian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
|January 1, 1986
Summary
Echocardiographic measurements in children aged 5-13 provide normal reference values for cardiac function. These data, including diameter changes, are consistent across ages and body sizes, offering reliable general reference standards.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Cardiac Physiology
Background:
- Establishing normal reference ranges for echocardiographic parameters in children is crucial for diagnosing cardiac abnormalities.
- Previous studies may lack comprehensive dynamical measurements or sufficient sample sizes for robust statistical analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normal statical and dynamical echocardiographic reference values in a pediatric population.
- To assess the relationship between cardiac measurements and patient age or body surface area (BSA).
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic measurements were performed on 13 healthy children aged 5-13 years.
- Included parameters: left ventricular internal diameter (diastole/systole), shortening fraction, cardiac output, mean VCF, and rates of diameter change.
- Data analysis focused on distribution and independence from age and BSA.
Main Results:
- Echocardiographic data were compact and normally distributed.
- Rates of left ventricular diameter change were independent of patient age and BSA.
- Cardiac output and velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (VCF) showed normal ranges.
Conclusions:
- The derived echocardiographic parameters serve as reliable general reference values for pediatric cardiac assessment.
- Dynamical measurements of ventricular diameter change are consistent and not influenced by age or BSA in this cohort.
- This study provides a valuable dataset for pediatric cardiologists and researchers.