The American journal of cardiology
-
Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
A quantitative comparison of transesophageal and epicardial color Doppler echocardiography in the intraoperative assessment of mitral regurgitation.
Epicardial and transesophageal color Doppler echocardiography are both widely used for the intraoperative assessment of mitral regurgitation (MR); however, it has not been established whether grading of regurgitation is comparable when evaluated by these 2 techniques. MR jet size was quantitatively compared in 29 hemodynamically and temporally matched open-chest epicardial and transesophageal color Doppler echocardiography studies from 22 patients (18 with native and 4 with porcine mitral valves) scheduled to undergo mitral valve repair or replacement. Jet area, jet length and left atrial area were analyzed. ⋯ Thus, in patients undergoing valve repair or replacement, transesophageal and epicardial color flow mapping provide similar quantitative assessment of MR jet size. Jet area to left atrial area ratios have limited applicability in transesophageal color flow mapping, due to foreshortening of the left atrial borders in transesophageal views. Transesophageal color flow mapping may be especially useful in assessing dysfunctional mitral prostheses due to the lack of left atrial acoustic interference.
-
Emergency percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass support was instituted in 8 consecutive patients, ages 42 to 80 years, in cardiogenic shock for 30 to 180 minutes (mean 106) due to acute myocardial infarction. The location of the infarction was inferior in 4, anterior in 3 and lateral in 1. Four patients had a history of prior myocardial infarction. ⋯ One patient required surgical repair of the femoral artery. All 7 patients are alive at a mean follow-up of 8.2 months. It is concluded that cardiopulmonary bypass can be safely instituted percutaneously, hemodynamically stabilize patients in cardiogenic shock and facilitate emergency complex coronary angioplasty, which may be life-saving.