Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular function.

The concept of "normalized velocity" has been applied in this study to the echocardiographic (echo) assessment of left ventricular (LV) function in 87 patients. The following normalized velocities were calculated from the ultrasound recording of LV wall motion: 1) the mean circumferential fiber shortening rate (mean VCF), 2) the mean normalized posterior wall velocity (Vpw), and 3) the mean normalized interventricular septal velocity (VIvS). Systolic ejection fraction (SEF), and mean (non-normalized) posterior wall velocity (PWV) were also determined. There were 19 patients with normal LV function, 5 with atrial septal defect (mean VCF, VIVS and SEF were not calculated in these patients), 16 with LV volume overload, 29 with myocardial disease, 6 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 12 with coronary artery disease (CAD). Single plane cineangiographic (angio) determinations of mean VCF and SEF were obtained in 50 of the 87 patients (including all 12 patients with CAD). Mean VCF and SEF done by echo correlated very well with mean VCF and SEF done by angio in the patients without CAD (r = 0.94 and 0.91, respectively). Mean VCF (by echo or by angio) adequately separated normal from abnormal LV function. Although correlation between mean VCF and SEF was good,