Acute right ventricular dysfunction in severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

To investigate the right heart function in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a retrospective analysis of 49 COVID-19 patients with ARDS was performed. Patients were divided into severe group and critically-severe group according to the severity of illness. Age-matched healthy volunteers were recruited as a control group. The cardiac cavity diameters, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid valve regurgitation pressure gradient biggest (TRPG), pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP), maximum inferior vena cava diameter (IVCmax) and minimum diameter (IVCmin), and inferior vena cava collapse index (ICV-CI) were measured using echocardiography. We found that the TAPSE was significantly decreased in pneumonia patients compared to healthy subjects (P < 0.0001), and it was significantly lower in critically-severe patients (P = 0.0068). The TAPSE was less than 17 mm in three (8.6%) severe and five (35.7%) critically-severe patients. In addition, the TAPSE was significantly decreased in severe ARDS patients than in mild ARDS patients. The IVCmax and IVCmin were significantly increased in critically-severe patients compared to healthy subjects and severe patients (P < 0.01), whereas the ICV-CI was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). COVID-19 patients had significantly larger right atrium and ventricle than healthy controls (P < 0.01). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in critically-severe patients was significantly lower than that in severe patients and healthy controls (P < 0.05). Right ventricular function was impaired in critically-severe COVID-19 patients. The assessment and protection of the right heart function in COVID-19 patients should be strengthened.

[Effects of cardiac sympathetic blockade on left ventricular diastolic function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and severe heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of cardiac sympathetic blockade on left ventricular diastolic function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and severe heart failure (HF). METHODS: Thirty-nine consecutive patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and severe HF with a left ventricular ejection fraction < 35% were randomly divided into 2 groups: control group (n = 16, 12 males and 4 females, aged 56 +/- 16, undergoing routine anti-HF treatment), and cardiac sympathetic blockade (TEB) group (n = 23, 18 males and 5 females, aged 51 +/- 13, undergoing sympathectomy at the interspinal space T3 - 4 or T4 - 5 in addition to the routine anti-HF treatment). Transthoracic echocardiography was conducted before the treatment and 1 month after the treatment to measure the left atrial diameter (Lad), left ventricular diastolic end diameter (LVDEd), ejection fraction (EF), peak early and late diastolic mitral inflow velocity (Em and Am) at 6 mitral annular sites, and the mean values of Em and Am (MEm and MAm). RESULTS: The Lad of the TEB group was 40.4 +/- 5.3 mm, significantly shorter than that of the control group (45.2 mm +/- 7.3 mm. P < 0.05). The LEDEd of the TEB group was 66 mm +/- 6 mm, significantly shorter than that of the control group (71 mm +/- 6 mm, P < 0.05). The EF of the TEB group was 35% +/- 7%, significantly higher than that of the control group (23% +/- 6%, P < 0.05). The MEm of the TEB group was 5.7 cm/s +/- 1.5 cm/s, significantly faster than that of the control group (7.1 cm/s +/- 1.7 cm/s, P < 0.05); and the MAm of the TEB group was 7.1 cm/s +/- 2.1 cm/s, significantly faster than that of the control group (5.4 cm/s +/- 1.8 cm/s, P < 0.05). In the control group the values of Lad, LVDEd, EF, Am, MEm, and MAm did not change significantly, and the Em values significantly increased only at 2 mitral annular sites after the treatment. CONCLUSION: Sympathetic blockade reduces the left ventricular cavity and boosts up the ejection performance, thus improving the left ventricular diastolic function.