Left ventricular atrioventricular plane displacement: an echocardiographic technique for rapid assessment of prognosis in heart failure.

OBJECTIVE To assess the prognostic value of atrioventricular plane displacement in heart failure patients. DESIGN Patients were followed prospectively for one year after atrioventricular plane displacement determination. SETTING Malmö University Hospital, with a primary catchment area of 250,000 inhabitants. PATIENTS 181 patients with a clinical diagnosis of heart failure; age 75.7 (SD 5.2) years, duration of heart failure 2.7 (5.7) years; 100 men, 81 women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Mortality in relation to atrioventricular plane displacement. RESULTS Total mortality was 22.7% (41/181), and was highly significantly (P = 0.001) related to atrioventricular plane displacement. Mortality within prospectively defined categories of displacement was: > or = 10.0 mm, 0% (0/19); 8.2 to 9.9 mm, 10.3% (3/29); 6.4 to 8.1 mm, 19.4% (12/62); and < 6.4 mm, 36.6% (26/71). The groups were similar in age, sex, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and beta blocker treatment, and cause and duration of heart failure. CONCLUSIONS Mortality in heart failure is strongly related to atrioventricular plane displacement.