Normal limits for left ventricular ejection fraction and volumes determined by gated single photon emission computed tomography – a comparison between two quantification methods
2008

Normal Limits for Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Volumes

Sample size: 185 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Milan Lomsky, Lena Johansson, Peter Gjertsson, Jonas Björk, Lars Edenbrandt

Primary Institution: Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Hypothesis

To compare gender-related normal limits for left ventricular ejection fraction and volumes obtained using two quantification methods.

Conclusion

Gender-specific normal limits need to be applied for left ventricular ejection fraction and volumes determined by gated SPECT.

Supporting Evidence

  • CAFU method showed higher end-diastolic volume measurements compared to QGS.
  • Normal limits for left ventricular ejection fraction were higher for CAFU than QGS.
  • Significant differences in measurements were found between genders.

Takeaway

Doctors need to use different normal values for heart measurements based on whether the patient is a man or a woman and which software they are using.

Methodology

Retrospective analysis of 185 patients using two software packages for quantification of gated SPECT images.

Potential Biases

Potential selection bias due to the gender distribution in the study population.

Limitations

The study may not represent a healthy reference population due to the exclusion criteria applied.

Participant Demographics

185 patients, 122 women and 63 men, mean age 59.4 years for women and 56.6 years for men.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CIs for normal limits were calculated.

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1111/j.1475-097X.2008.00791.x

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