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Vet J 2021 May 6;271:105653. Epub 2021 Mar 6.

Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Clinic of Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Ten healthy Beagle dogs were used to compare selected echocardiographic parameters of right ventricular (RV) systolic function with high field cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All dogs underwent complete transthoracic echocardiography before and during anesthesia, as well as cardiac MRI with determination of morphology-based ejection fraction, and phase contrast angiography-derived stroke volume. A correlation analysis was carried out between echocardiographic and MRI parameters. Read More

Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Lund University, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Cardiology, Lund, Sweden.

Aims: Detecting changes in ventricular function after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is important but interpretation of findings is complicated by lack of data on early graft adaptation. We sought to evaluate echocardiographic measures of ventricular size and function the first year following OHT including speckle tracking derived strain. We also aimed to compare echocardiographic findings to hemodynamic parameters obtained by right heart catheterization (RHC). Read More

Ann Intensive Care 2021 Mar 30;11(1):52. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, S-58185, Linköping, Sweden.

Background: Left ventricular longitudinal strain (LVLS) may be a sensitive indicator of left ventricular (LV) systolic function in patients with sepsis, but is dependent on high image quality and analysis software. Mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) and the novel left ventricular longitudinal wall fractional shortening (LV-LWFS) are bedside echocardiographic indicators of LV systolic function that are less dependent on image quality. Both are sparsely investigated in the critically ill population, and may potentially be used as surrogates for LVLS. Read More

Cardiol Young 2021 Mar 9:1-7. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Advocate Children's Hospital, Oak Lawn, IL, USA.

Background: Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect diagnosed in infancy. Assessment of right ventricular size and function is important for evaluation of patients with tetralogy of Fallot, but these quantitative measures are challenging by echocardiography. This study evaluates a semi-automated software (EchoInsight®, Epsilon Imaging) by comparing its measures to manual measures in children with tetralogy of Fallot. Read More

Cureus 2021 Jan 26;13(1):e12920. Epub 2021 Jan 26.

Cardiology, Aksaray Training and Research Hospital, Aksaray, TUR.

Objective To evaluate the mid-term effects of ivabradine on right ventricular functions in patients with heart failure. Methods A prospective study was conducted on 52 patients who had heart failure in normal sinus rhythm (59% male, age: 64.76 ±12. Read More

Cardiol Young 2021 Mar 2:1-13. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Background: Although cardiac catheterisation (cath) is the diagnostic test for pulmonary hypertension, it is an invasive procedure. Echocardiography (echo) is commonly used for the non-invasive diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension but maybe limited by lack of adequate signals. Therefore, emphasis has been placed on biomarkers as a potential diagnostic tool. Read More

J Clin Monit Comput 2021 Feb 27. Epub 2021 Feb 27.

MiCo, Consulting & Research, Denens, Switzerland.

Strain echocardiography enables the automatic quantification of the global longitudinal strain (GLS), which is a direct measure of ventricular shortening during systole. In the current context of overwhelmed ICUs and clinician shortage, GLS has the advantage to be quick and easy to measure by non-experts. However, little is known regarding its value to assess bi-ventricular systolic function in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2021 Jan 18. Epub 2021 Jan 18.

Department of Cardiac Anesthesiology, Heart Center Dresden, University Hospital, Dresden, Germany. Electronic address:

Objectives: Few data exist on perioperative three-dimensional-derived right ventricular strain. The authors aimed to describe the perioperative course of three-dimensional-derived right ventricular strain in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients.

Design: Prospective, observational, pilot trial. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2021 Feb 9;10(4):e016283. Epub 2021 Feb 9.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine University of Toledo Medical Center OH.

Background The prognostic value of echocardiographic evaluation of right ventricular (RV) function in patients undergoing left-sided valvular surgery has not been well described. The objective of this study is to determine the role of broad echocardiographic assessment of RV function in predicting short-term outcomes after valvular surgery. Methods and Results Preoperative echocardiographic data, perioperative adverse outcomes, and 30-day mortality were analyzed in patients who underwent left-sided valvular surgery from 2006 to 2014. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2021 May 30;331:75-81. Epub 2021 Jan 30.

Department of Cardiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function is recognized as an important prognostic factor in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD). The accuracy of established parameters including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), RV fractional area change (RVFAC) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI S') is limited as only a small RV region is reflected. We previously introduced a novel four-view approach with different RV walls visualized from one apical view using electronic plane rotation, also known as iRotate. Read More

Echocardiography 2021 Feb 25;38(2):289-295. Epub 2021 Jan 25.

Cardiology Department, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.

Background: The function of both ventricles has been suggested to be affected in patients with mitral stenosis. In this study, it was aimed to investigate deformation properties of right (RV) and left ventricle (LV) in rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) patients with three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE).

Methods: A total of 60 patients were included in the study (20 patients with mild MS diagnosis, 20 patients with moderate MS diagnosis, and 20 healthy volunteers). Read More

Cardiovasc Ultrasound 2021 Jan 20;19(1). Epub 2021 Jan 20.

Cardiology Division, A Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.

Purpose: This study was a quality-control study of resting and exercise Doppler echocardiography (EDE) variables measured by 19 echocardiography laboratories with proven experience participating in the RIGHT Heart International NETwork.

Methods: All participating investigators reported the requested variables from ten randomly selected exercise stress tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to evaluate the inter-observer agreement with the core laboratory. Read More

Echocardiography 2021 Feb 18;38(2):249-260. Epub 2021 Jan 18.

Cardiology Department, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.

Introduction: Limited data are known about the prognostic value of right ventricle (RV) function in patients with first acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of RV dysfunction in predicting both in-hospital and long-term outcomes in these patients, irrespective of the site of necrosis.

Methods: We enrolled 502 consecutive patients with first acute STEMI treated with primary angioplasty and underwent echocardiography within 48 hours of admission. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2021 Jan 13. Epub 2021 Jan 13.

Department of Cardiology, Heart Center Brandenburg Bernau, Germany; Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School (MHB) Neuruppin, Germany.

Background: Functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a frequent finding in echocardiography. Despite general consent that right ventricular (RV) dysfunction impacts the outcome of patients with TR, it is still unknown which echocardiographic parameters most accurately reflect prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of RV dysfunction and its prognostic value in patients with TR. Read More

Clin Respir J 2021 Jan 12. Epub 2021 Jan 12.

Emam Khomeini Hospital, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

Background: Heart-type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (H-FABP) has been used in the diagnosis of myocardial damage. In this study, we assessed the relationships between serum H-FABP as a marker of cardiac injury and right ventricle (RV) echocardiographic indices in patients with stable COPD.

Materials And Methods: In this case-control study, 84 participants were investigated (50 COPD patients and 34 healthy subjects). Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2020 Dec 1. Epub 2020 Dec 1.

Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Outcomes Research, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address:

Objective: Perioperative right ventricular function is a significant predictor of patient outcomes after cardiac surgery. This prospective study aimed to identify perioperative factors associated with reduced intraoperative right ventricular function.

Methods: Right ventricular function was assessed at the beginning and end of surgery by standardized transesophageal echocardiographic measurements, including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, peak systolic longitudinal right ventricular strain, and fractional area change, in 109 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic. Read More

Pulm Circ 2020 Oct-Dec;10(4):2045894020973906. Epub 2020 Dec 15.

Department of Haematology, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with Coronavirus disease 19 is associated with an unusually high incidence of pulmonary embolism and microthrombotic disease, with evidence for reduced fibrinolysis. We describe seven patients requiring invasive ventilation for COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome with pulmonary thromboembolic disease, pulmonary hypertension ± severe right ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography, who were treated with alteplase as fibrinolytic therapy. All patients were non-smokers, six (86%) were male and median age was 56. Read More

Pulm Circ 2020 Oct-Dec;10(4):2045894020943858. Epub 2020 Dec 13.

Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan.

Right ventricular impairment is a predictor of cardiovascular outcomes in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation. However, the time course of right ventricular functional changes post-surgical mitral valve repair remains largely unknown. Herein, using right ventricular-focused echocardiography, we aimed to investigate right ventricular reserve and its impact on hospitalization for heart failure after mitral valve repair. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2020 Dec 30. Epub 2020 Dec 30.

Department of Internal Medicine II, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.

Aims: Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) on echocardiography has been shown to predict outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). However, a comparison with the gold standard, RV ejection fraction (EF) on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), has never been performed.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients scheduled for TAVR underwent echocardiography and CMR. Read More

Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc 2021 Feb 16;32:100687. Epub 2020 Dec 16.

Department of Cardiology, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

Background: Transapical transcatheter mitral valve implantation (TMVI) may be a therapeutic option for patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) excluded from cardiac surgery due to excessive risk. Exclusion criteria frequently include pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. The effect of TMVI on RV function has not previously been well-characterized. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2020 Dec 18. Epub 2020 Dec 18.

The Labatt Family Heart Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address:

Background: The prognostic significance of serial echocardiography and its rate of change in children with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is incompletely defined.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed up to 4 serial echocardiograms. Associations between mortality/transplant and echo parameters over time and between outcomes and the rate of change of echo parameters were analyzed; estimating patient-specific intercepts and slopes using linear regression models. Read More

PLoS One 2020 18;15(12):e0244312. Epub 2020 Dec 18.

Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.

Background: Few studies demonstrate delayed recovery after exercise in children and adults with heart disease. We assess the recovery patterns of gas exchange parameters and heart rate (HR) in children with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rToF) compared to healthy peers and investigate the correlation with ventricular function and QRS duration.

Methods: 45 children after rToF and 45 controls performed a maximal incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test. Read More

J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2021 Jan 27. Epub 2021 Jan 27.

Department of Cardiology, Research Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Background: Acute exercise promotes transient exercise-induced cardiac fatigue, which affects the right ventricle and to a lesser extent the left ventricle. Hypoxic exposure induces an additional increase in right ventricular (RV) afterload. Therefore, exercise in hypoxia may differently affect both ventricles. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2021 03 23;327:251-258. Epub 2020 Nov 23.

Department of Cardiology, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, UK; Department of Adult Critical Care, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, UK. Electronic address:

Aims: Comprehensive echocardiography assessment of right ventricular (RV) impairment has not been reported in critically ill patients with COVID-19. We detail the specific phenotype and clinical associations of RV impairment in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) measures of RV function were collected in critically unwell patients for associations with clinical, ventilatory and laboratory data. Read More

Eur Radiol 2020 Nov 17. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Objectives: Right ventricular (RV) function is considered the major determinant of prognosis in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate RV remodelling and function following balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) in patients with inoperable CTEPH or persistent/recurrent pulmonary hypertension (PH) after pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA).

Methods: We reviewed all studies evaluating RV function by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and/or echocardiography pre- and post-BPA from PubMed/Medline prior to 15 December 2019. Read More

Echocardiography 2020 12 16;37(12):2091-2101. Epub 2020 Nov 16.

Congenital Heart Disease Unit, Cardiology Department, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.

Introduction: The systemic load on the right ventricle (RV) after Senning atrial switch leads to ventricular dysfunction. Quantitative assessment of RV contractile reserve is mandatory to anticipate the need for anti-fibrotic treatment. We aimed to quantitatively assess RV contractile reserve in Senning children by estimating speckle-based global longitudinal strain (GLS) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). Read More

Adv Respir Med 2020 ;88(5):412-419

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.

Introduction: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening chest disease associated with a poor outcome and increased mortality. It may lead to pulmonary hypertension and, eventually, right ventricular failure. These changes can be investigated by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) which is considered a non-invasive and cost-effective modality. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2021 Jan;22(2):168-176

Division of Cardiology and Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Magdeburg University, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.

Aims: The aim of this study was to validate the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery (PA) pressure (TAPSE/PASP) ratio with the invasive pressure-volume (PV) loop-derived end-systolic right ventricular (RV) elastance/PA elastance (Ees/Ea) ratio in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) and secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Methods And Results: The relationship of TAPSE and TAPSE/PASP with RV-PV loop (single-beat)-derived contractility Ees, afterload Ea, and Ees/Ea was assessed in 110 patients with HFREF with and without secondary PH. The results were compared with other surrogate parameters such as the fractional area change/PASP ratio. Read More

Intern Med 2021 Apr 2;60(8):1151-1158. Epub 2020 Nov 2.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.

Objective Glycemic variability is being increasingly recognized as an early indicator of glucose metabolic disorder and may contribute to the development of diabetic vascular complications, such as coronary microvascular dysfunction. The present study sought to investigate the relationship between coronary microvascular function assessed by intracoronary thermodilution method and glycemic variability on a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). Methods We prospectively enrolled 40 patients with or without known diabetes mellitus who had epicardial coronary artery disease referred for coronary angiography and were not treated with diabetic medications. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2021 Mar 27;29(3):170-178. Epub 2020 Oct 27.

Department of Research, UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Center, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the hemodynamic effects of intraoperative intravenous milrinone versus inhalational milrinone at two timepoints in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension undergoing mitral valve surgery.

Methods: A prospective observational study was performed in 100 patients with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis (with/without regurgitation) and right ventricular systolic pressure > 50 mm Hg. They were divided into two groups based on the strategy used to reduce pulmonary hypertension. Read More