[Echocardiographic research on the left ventricular function of patients with a complete atrioventricular block...

Twenty seven patients with total atrioventricular (AV) block at the age of 29-83 were examined (average age--69 years, females--13, males--14); with cardiac decompensation stage 1-8 patients, stage II--13 patients and stage III--1 patient; without cardiac decompensation--5 patients. During the examination period, no cardiotonics and dehydrating drugs were administered. The examination was carried out prior to and 10 days post the implantation of an electro-stimulator VVI with an echocardiograph M-type in the standard method. The examination prior to the implanted pacemaker manifested moderately to strongly expressed pathological deflection of the mean values of all echocardiographic indices for the pumping and contractile function of the left cardiac ventricle: increased diastolic size, diastolic index and diastolic volume of the left ventricle, mean values of the fraction of contraction, ejection fraction, velocity of circumferential fibers shortening in the lower limits of the norm and increased mean values of stroke volume and reduction of minute volume. The results from the examination are given in Table 1a and 1b. The second examination of the same indices after 10 days gives the improvement of the mean as well as of the final values of the basic echocardiographic indices with a very good correlative coefficient R = 0.92-0.96, P = 0.001. Decrease of the diastolic size with 8.4% was determined as well as of the systolic size with 3.8%, of the diastolic volume with 23.2%, of the systolic volume--with 19.4%, increase of the minute volume with 19.8%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)