Noninvasive assessment of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance in children with pulmonary hypertension secondary to congenital heart disease: A comparative study between five different Doppler indices

AbstractBackgroundPulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is an important hemodynamic parameter in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Noninvasive estimation of PVR represents an attractive alternative to invasive measurements.MethodsThe study included 175 patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to CHD. All patients underwent full echocardiographic study and invasive hemodynamic measurements. The study population was then subdivided into four subgroups. Each of the following Doppler indices was measured in one of these four subgroups: peak tricuspid regurgitant velocity (TRV), the ratio of the TRV to the velocity time integral of the right ventricular outflow tract (TRV/TVIRVOT), peak velocity of tricuspid annular systolic motion (TSm), heart rate corrected acceleration time and infliction time of the proximal left pulmonary artery (ATc, InTc). The data obtained was correlated with invasive PVR measurement. An ROC curve analysis was done to generate cutoff points with the highest balanced sensitivity and specificity to predict PVR>6WU/m2. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were compared with each other to determine the most reliable cutoff point in predicting elevated PVR>6WU/m2.ResultsThere was a significant correlation between both the TRV and TSm and invasive measurement of PVR (r=−0.511, 0.387 and P value=0.0002, 0.006 respectively). The TSm and TRV cutoff values were the most reliable to predict elevated PVR>6 WU/m2. A TSm cutoff value of ⩽16.16cm/s provided the best balanced sensitivity (85.7%) and specificity (66.7%) to determine PVRCATH>6 WU/m2. A cutoff value less than 7.62cm/s had 100% specificity to predict PVRCATH>6 WU/m2. A TRV cutoff value of >3.96m/s provided the best balanced sensitivity (66.7%) and specificity (100%) to determine PVRCATH>6 WU/m2. Both TRV and TSm had the highest area under the ROC curve among the 5 DOPPLER indices studied.ConclusionPrediction of elevated PVR in children with PH secondary to CHD could be achieved noninvasively using a number of Doppler indices. Among the five Doppler indices examined in the current study, the peak TRV and the TSm of the lateral tricuspid annulus had the highest balanced sensitivity and specificity to predict PVRI>6 WU/m2

Immediate and short term effects of percutaneous atrial septal defect device closure on cardiac electrical remodeling in children

Background: The beneficial effects of atrial septal defect (ASD) device closure on electrical cardiac remodeling are well established. The timing at which these effects starts to take place has yet to be determined. Objectives: To determine the immediate and short term effects of ASD device closure on cardiac electric remodeling in children. Methods: 30 pediatric patients were subjected to 12 lead Electrocardiogram immediately before ASD device closure, 24 h post procedure, 1 and 6 months after. The maximum and minimum P wave and QT durations in any of the 12 leads were recorded and P wave and QT dispersions were calculated and compared using paired T test. Results: The immediate 24 h follow up electrocardiogram showed significant decrease in P maximum (140.2 ± 6 versus 130.67 ± 5.4 ms), P dispersion (49.73 ± 9.01 versus 41.43 ± 7.65 ms), PR interval (188.7 ± 6.06 ms versus 182.73 ± 5.8 ms), QRS duration (134.4 ± 4.97 ms versus 127.87 ± 4.44), QT maximum (619.07 ± 15.73 ms versus 613.43 ± 11.87), and QT dispersion (67.6 ± 5.31 versus 62.6 ± 4.68 ms) (P = 0.001). After 1 month all the parameters measured showed further significant decrease with P dispersion reaching 32.13 ± 6 (P = 0.001) and QT dispersion reaching 55.0 ± 4.76 (P = 0.001). These effects were maintained 6 months post device closure. Conclusion: Percutaneous ASD device closure can reverse electrical changes in atrial and ventricular myocardium as early as the first 24 h post device closure. Keywords: ASD, Device closure, Electric remodeling, Dispersio