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[Unidimensional echocardiogram of normal infants and children (author's transl)]
Insights
Echocardiograms in children show good correlation between cardiac measurements and body surface area. Left ventricular performance indices are not correlated with body surface area, aiding pediatric heart disease diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Context:
- Echocardiography is crucial for diagnosing pediatric heart conditions.
- Establishing normative echocardiographic values in children is essential for accurate interpretation.
- Previous studies may lack comprehensive data across a wide pediatric age range.
Purpose:
- To establish reference values for echocardiographic measurements in children.
- To assess the correlation of these measurements with body surface area.
- To evaluate left ventricular performance indices in relation to body size and heart rate.
Summary:
- One hundred and one echocardiograms were analyzed in children aged 8 days to 15 years.
- Measurements included left ventricular dimensions, aortic root, left atrial diameter, and wall thickness.
- A strong correlation was found between cardiac dimensions and the square root of body surface area, while left ventricular performance indices (ejection fraction, shortening fraction, mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening) showed no correlation with body surface area but did correlate with heart rate.
Impact:
- Provides valuable reference data for pediatric echocardiography.
- Assists clinicians in the accurate assessment of cardiac structure and function in infants and children.
- Enhances the diagnostic capabilities for congenital and acquired heart diseases in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
One hundred and one echocardiograms were performed in children 8 days to 15 years old. The values measured were : end-diastolic and end-systolic left ventricular diameters, aortic root diameter, left atrial diameter, end-diastolic septal and posterior wall thickness, mitral valve excursion. There is a good correlation of these values with the square root surface area. The indices of left ventricular performance are : mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (correlated with heart rate), ejection fraction and shortening fraction. These indices are not correlated with body surface area. These data can be used in the echocardiographic investigation of infants or children with heart diseases.