Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Jan 2013
ReviewEchocardiography in pulmonary arterial hypertension: from diagnosis to prognosis.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is most often diagnosed in its advanced stages because of the nonspecific nature of early symptoms and signs. Although clinical assessment is essential when evaluating patients with suspected pulmonary arterial hypertension, echocardiography is a key screening tool in the diagnostic algorithm. It provides an estimate of pulmonary artery pressure, either at rest or during exercise, and is useful in ruling out secondary causes of pulmonary hypertension. In addition, echocardiography is valuable in assessing prognosis and treatment options, monitoring the efficacy of specific therapeutic interventions, and detecting the preclinical stages of disease.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyShort-term effects of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on left atrial mechanics and left ventricular diastolic function.
Aortic stenosis (AS) leads to remodeling of the left heart. Strain measurements enable the assessment of left atrial (LA) mechanics. The goal of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on LA myocardial deformation as well as left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. ⋯ 8.2 ± 3.3 days after TAVI, only the reservoir and conduit function of the left atrium improved, whereas LA contraction and LA volumes, except for the systolic volume index, remained unchanged. This was accompanied by improvement of early LV diastolic function, indicating acute recovery of LV relaxation and LA function.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyPredictors of ischemia in patients referred for evaluation of exertional dyspnea: a stress echocardiography study.
There are conflicting data on the incidence of ischemia by stress echocardiography in patients referred for dyspnea without accompanying chest pain. ⋯ The incidence of stress-induced ischemia is low in patients referred for stress echocardiography with exertional dyspnea (without chest pain). Ischemia is more likely to be present in men with histories of coronary artery disease and resting wall motion abnormalities.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyEchocardiographic evaluation of ventricular assist devices in pediatric patients.
The use of ventricular assist devices (VADs) in children is challenging because of small patient size, frequent structural heart disease, and the need for biventricular assist devices. This report describes the role of echocardiography in the management of children supported by VADs. ⋯ Echocardiography is invaluable in the management of pediatric patients receiving VADs. It is helpful in pre-VAD assessment, guiding intraoperative device placement, recognizing VAD dysfunction, and identifying postimplantation complications.