European heart journal cardiovascular Imaging
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Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging · Sep 2013
Speckle-tracking strain of the left atrium: a transoesophageal echocardiographic validation study.
The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the relationship between novel two-dimensional transthoracic indices of left atrial (LA) mechanical function (speckle-tracking- and tissue Doppler-derived parameters), conventional indices (A-wave peak velocity and velocity-time integral, and A' velocity), and transoesophageal echocardiographic parameters (LA appendage emptying velocity and spontaneous echocardiographic contrast); and (2) to assess to clinical feasibility of these novel transthoracic echocardiographic indices. ⋯ Assessment of LA mechanical function using speckle-tracking echocardiography is a valid approach compared with transoesophageal echocardiography, and is clinically feasible.
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Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging · Sep 2013
Pulmonary artery acceleration time in identifying pulmonary hypertension patients with raised pulmonary vascular resistance.
In patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), ascertaining raised vascular resistance as a cause is a clinical objective, for which various Doppler-based measurements have been proposed, but with modest accuracy. We hypothesize that pulmonary acceleration time (PAcT) and the ratio of PAcT/peak pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) reflect better the extent of the vascular resistance, compared with other available methods, and can differentiate accurately between pre- and post-capillary PH. ⋯ PAcT <90 ms can serve as a strong non-invasive predictor of PVR >3 WU, which could differentiate patients with pre- and post-capillary PH.