[The relative ejection time under different conditions of cardiac stress and in aortic valve disease (author's...

In 51 healthy young people the carotid arterial pulse wave was registered externally during bicycle-exercise in a lying position. The ejection time in relation to the duration of diastole (not pulse period or heart rate!) increased significantly. These results are compared with measurements made by Schulz (15) who found normal ejection times in tachycardia provoked by pacer-stimulation and shortened values during isoproterenol-induced tachycardia. Women have longer ejection times than men especially under physical stress. In 18 patients suffering from aortic insufficiency, ejection times were slightly prolonged and in 28 patients who had a systolic pressure gradient of more than 20 mm Hg between the left ventricle and the aorta ejection times were markedly prolonged. There is also a significant positive correlation between ejection time and pressure gradient. The authors consider that the autonomic innervation plays an important role in the duration of ejection time in normal subjects while in patients with aortic heart disease the ejection time is predominantly influenced by mechanical factors. For the diagnosis of the severity of aortic stenosis measurements of ejection time are only useful in connection with other clinical parameters (pulse pressure, creast time of the arterial pulse wave).