Clinical value of myocardial performance index in patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction.

AIMS: The Doppler-derived myocardial performance index (MPI) has been considered as a diagnostic and prognostic Doppler marker for many different clinical conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of traditional Pulsed-wave Doppler (PWD-MPI) and Pulsed-wave tissue Doppler imaging (TDI-MPI) and the degree of agreement between these methods in patients with grade-I diastolic dysfunction (DDI) and a normal ejection fraction. METHODS: Forty-seven consecutive ambulatory patients with DDI were compared to 51 healthy subjects with normal echocardiograms. All subjects underwent measurement of time intervals and MPI with PWD and pulsed TDI. RESULTS: TDI-MPI and PWD-MPI were significantly higher in patients with DDI than in control subjects: 0.49 ± 0.14 vs. 0.40 ± 0.09 (P < 0.001) and 0.45 ± 0.11 vs. 0.37 ± 0.08 (P < 0.001), respectively. Cutoff values of TDI-MPI > 0.42 and PWD-MPI > 0.40 identified DDI subjects, with sensitivities of 74 and 64%; specificities of 61 and 69%; positive likelihood ratios of 1.9 and 2.0; and negative likelihood ratios of 0.42 and 0.53, respectively; no significant difference was noted between the areas under the ROC curves of TDI-MPI and PWD-MPI (P = 0.77). Bland-Altman plots showed wide limits of agreement between these indices: - 0.17 to 0.23 in healthy subjects and - 0.24 to 0.32 in DDI patients. CONCLUSION: PWD-MPI and TDI-MPI showed poor clinical agreement and were not reliable parameters for the assessment of left ventricular diastolic function.

Pulmonary venous flow index as a predictor of pulmonary vascular resistance variability in congenital heart disease with increased pulmonary flow: a comparative study before and after oxygen inhalation.

AIMS: There is no definitive and reliable echocardiographic method for estimating the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) to differentiate persistent vascular disease from dynamic pulmonary hypertension. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the pulmonary venous blood flow velocity-time integral (VTIpv) and PVR. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighteen patients (10 females; 4 months to 22 years of age) with congenital heart disease and left to right shunt were studied. They underwent complete cardiac catheterization, including measurements of the PVR and Qp:Qs ratio, before and after 100% oxygen inhalation. Simultaneous left inferior pulmonary venous flow VTIpv was obtained by Doppler echocardiography. The PVR decreased significantly from 5.0 ± 2.6 W to 2.8 ± 2.2 W (P = 0.0001) with a significant increase in the Qp:Qs ratio, from 3.2 ± 1.4 to 4.9 ± 2.4 (P = 0.0008), and the VTIpv increased significantly from 22.6 ± 4.7 cm to 28.1 ± 6.2 cm (P = 0.0002) after 100% oxygen inhalation. VTIpv correlated well with the PVR and Qp:Qs ratio (r = -0.74 and 0.72, respectively). Diagnostic indexes indicated a sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 75%, accuracy of 83%, a positive predictive value of 92% and a negative predictive value of 60%. CONCLUSION: The VTIpv correlated well with the PVR. The measurement of this index before and after oxygen inhalation may become a useful noninvasive test for differentiating persistent vascular disease from dynamic and flow-related pulmonary hypertension.

Doppler-derived myocardial performance index in patients with impaired left ventricular relaxation and preserved systolic function.

BACKGROUND: The Doppler-derived myocardial performance index (MPI) has been used in the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) function in several diseases. In patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction, the diagnostic utility of this index remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic utility of MPI in patients with systemic hypertension, impaired LV relaxation, and normal ejection fraction. METHODS: Thirty hypertensive patients with impaired LV relaxation were compared to 30 control subjects. MPI and its components, isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), isovolumetric contraction time (ICT), and the ejection time (ET), were measured from LV outflow and mitral inflow Doppler velocity profiles. RESULTS: MPI was higher in patients than in control subjects (0.45 +/- 0.13 vs 0.37 +/- 0.07 P < 0.0029). The increase in MPI was due to the prolongation of IRT without significant change of ICT and ET. MPI cutoff value of > or =0.40 identified impaired LV relaxation with a sensitivity of 63% and specificity of 70% while an IRT >94 ms had a sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 80%. Multivariate analysis identified relative wall thickness, mitral early filling wave velocity (E), and systolic myocardial velocity (Sm) as independent predictors of MPI in patients with hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: MPI was increase in patients with hypertension, diastolic dysfunction, and normal ejection fraction but was not superior to IRT to detect impaired LV relaxation.

Correlation of accessory pathway location with gender and their manifest or concealed presentation.

BACKGROUND: Atrioventricular reentrant tachycardias account for approximately one third of cases referred for electrophysiological study (EPS). The anatomical substrate responsible for the reentry is an accessory pathway (AP) able to conduct the electrical stimulus in an anterograde, retrograde or bidirectional manner. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of AP location with the male and female genders and AP clinical presentation, whether manifest or concealed. METHODS: Retrospective observational study including 942 consecutive patients, all diagnosed with EPS-confirmed AP from January 1994 to December 2008. APs were classified into eight anatomical groups: left lateral (LL), left posterior (LP), left posteroseptal (LPS), right posteroseptal (RPS), right midseptal (RMS), right anteroseptal (RAS), right lateral (RL), and right posterior (RP). RESULTS: Of the 942 patients, 52.6% were males. The mean age was 31.2±13.8years. As regards gender, APs were more prevalent among men. However, a statistically significant difference was observed only in the LPS (p=0.029) and RL (p=0.003) regions. In relation to the form of presentation of AP, the manifest form was more frequent than the concealed form in six of the eight regions studied, except for the LL and LPS regions. CONCLUSION: AP predominated in males and the manifest form was more frequent than the concealed form in most of the regions studied.

Teaching basic life support to students of public and private high schools.

BACKGROUND: Despite being recommended as a compulsory part of the school curriculum, the teaching of basic life support (BLS) has yet to be implemented in high schools in most countries. OBJECTIVES: To compare prior knowledge and degree of immediate and delayed learning between students of one public and one private high school after these students received BLS training. METHODS: Thirty students from each school initially answered a questionnaire on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of the automated external defibrillator (AED). They then received theoretical-practical BLS training, after which they were given two theory assessments: one immediately after the course and the other six months later. RESULTS: The overall success rates in the prior, immediate, and delayed assessments were significantly different between groups, with better performance shown overall by private school students than by public school students: 42% ± 14% vs. 30.2% ± 12.2%, p = 0.001; 86% ± 7.8% vs. 62.4% ± 19.6%, p < 0.001; and 65% ± 12.4% vs. 45.6% ± 16%, p < 0.001, respectively. The total odds ratio of the questions showed that the private school students performed the best on all three assessments, respectively: 1.66 (CI95% 1.26-2.18), p < 0.001; 3.56 (CI95% 2.57-4.93), p < 0.001; and 2.21 (CI95% 1.69-2.89), p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Before training, most students had insufficient knowledge about CPR and AED; after BLS training a significant immediate and delayed improvement in learning was observed in students, especially in private school students.

Teaching Basic Life Support to Students of Public and Private High Schools / Ensino de Suporte Básico de Vida para Alunos de Escolas Pública e Privada do Ensino Médio

Background: Despite being recommended as a compulsory part of the school curriculum, the teaching of basic life support (BLS) has yet to be implemented in high schools in most countries. Objectives: To compare prior knowledge and degree of immediate and delayed learning between students of one public and one private high school after these students received BLS training. Methods: Thirty students from each school initially answered a questionnaire on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of the automated external defibrillator (AED). They then received theoretical-practical BLS training, after which they were given two theory assessments: one immediately after the course and the other six months later. Results: The overall success rates in the prior, immediate, and delayed assessments were significantly different between groups, with better performance shown overall by private school students than by public school students: 42% ± 14% vs. 30.2% ± 12.2%, p = 0.001; 86% ± 7.8% vs. 62.4% ± 19.6%, p < 0.001; and 65% ± 12.4% vs. 45.6% ± 16%, p < 0.001, respectively. The total odds ratio of the questions showed that the private school students performed the best on all three assessments, respectively: 1.66 (CI95% 1.26-2.18), p < 0.001; 3.56 (CI95% 2.57-4.93), p < 0.001; and 2.21 (CI95% 1.69-2.89), p < 0.001. Conclusions: Before training, most students had insufficient knowledge about CPR and AED; after BLS training a significant immediate and delayed improvement in learning was observed in students, especially in private school students. .

Fundamento: Embora recomendado como parte obrigatória do currículo escolar, o ensino de suporte básico de vida (SBV) ainda não foi implementado no ensino médio na maioria dos países. Objetivo: Comparar o conhecimento prévio e o grau de aprendizado imediato e tardio entre alunos do ensino médio de uma escola pública e outra privada, após capacitação em SBV. Métodos: Inicialmente, trinta alunos de cada escola responderam a um questionário sobre ressuscitação cardiopulmonar (RCP) e o uso do desfibrilador externo automático (DEA); em seguida, receberam treinamento teórico-prático de SBV e foram reavaliados imediatamente e seis meses após o curso. Resultados: As taxas de acertos dos alunos de ambas as escolas nas avaliações prévia, imediata e tardia apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significantes e melhor desempenho da escola privada em relação à escola pública nas três avaliações, respectivamente, 42% ± 14% vs. 30,2% ± 12,2%, p = 0,001; 86% ± 7,8% vs. 62,4% ± 19,6%, p < 0,001 e 65% ± 12,4% vs. 45,6% ± 16%, p < 0,001. A razão de chance do total das questões mostrou um melhor rendimento da escola privada em relação à pública nas três avaliações, respectivamente: 1,66 (IC95% 1,26-2,18), p < 0,001; 3,56 (IC95% 2,57-4,93), p < 0,001 e 2,21(1,69-2,89), p < 0,001. Conclusões: Antes do treinamento, a maioria dos estudantes tinha um conhecimento insuficiente sobre RCP e DEA; após o curso de SBV, observou-se uma melhora significativa tanto imediata como tardia no aprendizado dos estudantes, notadamente para os alunos da escola privada. .

Aneurisma do septo interatrial em adultos: diagnóstico e classificação / Atrial septal aneurysm in adult patients: diagnosis and classification

O aneurisma do septo interatrial é uma malformação com prevalência de até 10 por cento quando o estudo ecocardiográfico transesofágico é utilizado para o diagnóstico. Embora não exista um consenso em relação ao tamanho necessário para o diagnóstico, tamanhos da base e da protrusão máxima dentro do átrio iguais ou superiores a 15mm são utilizados com relativa frequência. Após o diagnóstico, uma adequada classificação do aneurisma deve ser feita, para definir o grau e tipo de movimentação, o átrio no qual acontece o abaulamento principal e a relação com o ciclo cardiorrespiratório.

Atrial septal aneurysm is a malformation with a prevalence of up to 10 percent when transesophageal echocardiography is used for diagnosis. Although there is no consensus about the required size for the diagnosis, a diameter of the base and a maximal projection of the aneurysm into an atrial chamber greater than or equal to 15 mm are used relatively often. After the diagnosis, a proper classification of the aneurysm should be made to define the degree and type of motion, the atrium in which the main bulging occurs and its relationship to cardiorespiratory cycle.