Tissue Doppler Imaging in Critically Ill Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Sturgess David J, Marwick Thomas H, Joyce Christopher J, Jones Mark, Venkatesh Bala
Primary Institution: Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
Hypothesis
What is the distribution of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) values and their correlation with echocardiographic indices of preload in critically ill patients?
Conclusion
Tissue Doppler imaging values showed a wide range, with common evidence of diastolic dysfunction, but E/E' did not correlate strongly with other echocardiographic indices of preload.
Supporting Evidence
- Two-thirds of the cohort exhibited TDI evidence of delayed myocardial relaxation (E' < 9.6 cm/s).
- Fifteen percent of the cohort demonstrated Doppler evidence of elevated left ventricular filling pressure (E/E' > 15).
- Increased left ventricular end-systolic volume was associated with excess 28-day mortality.
Takeaway
Doctors used a special heart test on sick patients and found that many had problems with how their heart relaxed, but the test didn't always match up with other heart measurements.
Methodology
This was a retrospective study of 94 patients who underwent echocardiography in an intensive care unit over a 2-year period.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to the non-random nature of echocardiography performance.
Limitations
The study may have selection bias as echocardiography was not routinely performed at ICU admission, and timing relative to therapy could influence results.
Participant Demographics
The cohort consisted of 28 females (30%) and 66 males (70%), with a mean age of 61 ± 15 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.007
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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