Mitral annular plane systolic excursion for assessing left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with septic...

Using easy-to-determine bedside measurements, we developed an echocardiographic algorithm for predicting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and longitudinal strain (LVLS) in patients with septic shock.

We measured septal and lateral mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE), septal and lateral mitral S-wave velocity, and the left ventricular longitudinal wall fractional shortening in patients with septic shock. We used a conditional inference tree method to build a stratification algorithm. The left ventricular systolic dysfunction was defined as an LVEF <50%, an LVLS greater than -17%, or both.

We included 71 patients (males: 61%; mean [standard deviation] age: 61 [15] yr). Septal MAPSE (cut-off: 1.2 cm) was the best predictor of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The level of agreement between the septal MAPSE and the left ventricular systolic dysfunction was 0.525 [0.299-0.751]. A septal MAPSE ≥1.2 cm predicted normal LVEF in 17/18 patients, or 94%. In contrast, a septal MAPSE <1.2 cm predicted left ventricular systolic dysfunction with impaired LVLS in 46/53 patients (87%), although 32/53 (60%) patients had a preserved LVEF.

Septal MAPSE is easily measured at the bedside and might help clinicians to detect left ventricular systolic dysfunction early-especially when myocardial strain measurements are not feasible.