A term newborn with a hypocontractile myocardium complicating persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn was successfully treated with a low-dose phosphodiesterase III inhibitor milrinone. Echocardiography diagnosed heart failure with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 35% and a left ventricular shortening fraction of 18% and severe per...

A reproducible noninvasive technique for measuring righ ventricular ejection fraction was developed using first pass quantitative radionuclide angiocardiography. Studies were obtained in the anterior position with a computerized multicrystal scintillation camera with high count rate capabilities. Right ventricular ejection fraction was calculated on a beat to beat basis from the high frequency ...

INTRODUCTION Peripheral arterial disease is associated with an excessive risk for cardi-ovascular events and mortality. Peripheral arterial disease is usually measured with ankle brachial index (ABI). It is previously shown that the ABI would reflect LV systolic func-tion, as well as atherosclerosis; however, these results are not shown in non-diabetic indi-viduals. In this study, we aim to eva...

BACKGROUND The prevalence and clinical outcomes of heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction after acute myocardial infarction have not been well elucidated. OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence of heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction in acute myocardial infarction and its association with mortality. METHODS Patients with acute myocardial infa...

Background: This study aims to evaluate the effect of exercise training on heart rate variability (HRV) and to determine the correlation between parameters of HRV and the ejection fraction in patients with heart failure after percutaneous coronary intervention.Material and Methods: Fifty patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40% undergone percutaneous coronary intervention were r...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of the oscillatory breathing on the variability of RR intervals (VRR) and on prognostic significance after one year follow-up in subjects with left ventricular global systolic dysfunction. METHODS We studied 76 subjects, whose age ranged from 40 to 80 years, paired for age and gender, divided into two groups: group I - 34 healthy subjects; group II - 42 subjects...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the value of Simpson's rule, Teichholz's formula, and recording of mitral ring motion in assessing left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy. DESIGN Left ventricular ejection fraction calculated by Simpson's rule and by Techholz's formula and estimated by mitral ring motion was compared with values obtained by radionuclide a...

The prognostic significance of left ventricular ejection fraction measurements obtained at the bedside was assessed in 171 patients as soon as possible after acute myocardial infarction. Ejection fraction was measured with a radionuclide first pass portable probe method within a mean of 24 hours of the onset of major symptoms. The results were related prospectively to the subsequent incidence o...

Fourteen patients with restrictive pulmonary disease due to sarcoidosis were studied with radionuclide angiocardiography in order to define the incidence and significance of right and left ventricular dysfunction. Right and left ventricular ejection fractions were determined by an equilibrium technique at both rest and exercise. All patients had a normal left ventricular ejection fraction with ...

BACKGROUND Non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome is associated with elevation of brain natriuretic peptide and markers of myocardial necrosis, although its relationship with the TIMI score and left ventricular function are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the correlation between plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and markers of myocardial necrosis [cr...