Utility of M-Mode Echocardiography for Early Identification of Infants with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn

The clinical syndrome of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) still carries high mortality in spite of improved neonatal care. The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the utility of M-mode echocardiography for the early identification of infants with PPHN prior to clinical deterioration. Echocardiograms of 51 infants who needed fractional inspiratory oxygen (FIO2) ≥0.25 to maintain adequate Pao2 within 36 hours of life were compared to those of 115 healthy full-term and preterm newborns. Of the 51 infants, ten had elevated systolic time interval ratios of both ventricles simultaneously (ventricular pre-ejection period to ventricular ejection time [RPEP/RVET ≤0.50, LPEP/LVET ≤0.38J]). All of these newbrns had PPHN that was manifest clinically by 11 to 30 hours of age. The echocardiographic findings preceded clinical deterioration by at least one to five hours in all cases. The other 41 infants had clinical courses consistent with uncomplicated pulmonary disease. These data indicate that systolic time interval ratios, although not accurate measures of pulmonary arterial pressure and/or pulmonary vascular resistance, permit early identification of infants with PPHN and separation from others with uncomplicated pulmonary disease.

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Systolic Time Interval (STI) in Hypothyroid Patients Receiving High Dose L-Thyroxine

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia ◽

10.31436/imjm.v18i2.582 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Nurul Aulia Zakaria ◽

Hafizah Pasi ◽

Mohammad Arif Shahar

Keyword(s):

Left Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Ejection ◽

Lv Function ◽

High Dose ◽

Time Interval ◽

Ejection Time ◽

Systolic Time Interval ◽

Systolic Time ◽

Ventricular Ejection Time ◽

Significant Increment

Introduction: Systolic Time Interval (STI) is a simple,noninvasive and precise technique to assess left ventricular (LV) function. It measures aortic Pre-Ejection Period (PEP) over Left Ventricular Ejection Time (LVET) from echocardiogram. Thyrotoxicosis will enhance LV function and cause reduction of STI. This study was perform to measure the changes of STI after administration of high dose L-thyroxine and to determine the correlation between high dose L-thyroxine administration and STI. Materials and Method: A Total of 22 patients were screened. Those with cardiac diseases and high Framingham risk score were excluded. Nine patients were started on high dose L-thyroxine (7x their usual dose) once a week during the month of Ramadan.Thyroid hormones ( T3,T4,TSH)Â and STI (PEP/LVET) were measured at baseline and within 24 hrs after high dose L-thyroxine ingestion. Results: All patients have normal thyroid hormones level and normal cardiac function at baseline. The median dose (mcg) of L-thyroxine was 600 (437.5,700) while the median level of fT4 (pmol/L) was 17.43(12.38,20.8). Despite the significant increment of fT4 after Lthyroxine ingestion [baseline 13.21(8.19,14.63) vs high dose 17.43(12.38,22.55) p; 0.011] there was no significant change in STI [baseline 0.3(0.2,0.4) vs high dose 0.28(0.26,0.45) p; 0.513]. There was no correlation found between the dose of Lthyroxine and STI (r=0.244 , p;0.526). Conclusion: Administration of high dose Lthyroxine did not significantly alter STI despite significant increment of fT4 level unlike the naturally occurring thyrotoxicosis.Therefore ‘exogenous’ administration of high dose L-thyroxine is cardiac safe.

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Systolic Time Interval Characteristics in Children with Duchenne's Progressive Muscular Dystrophy

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.70.6.958 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 70 (6) ◽

pp. 958-964

Author(s):

Shyamal K. Sanyal ◽

Ralph C. Tierney ◽

P. Syamasundar Rao ◽

Samuel E. Pitner ◽

Stephen L. George ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Muscular Dystrophy ◽

Normal Control ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Time Interval ◽

Systolic Time Interval ◽

Control Subjects ◽

Systolic Time ◽

Ventricular Ejection Time ◽

Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy

Systolic time interval (STI) characteristics of 17 boys with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) were compared with those of 80 normal boys who served as control subjects. The heart rate decreased linearly with age in normal control subjects (r = -.47, P < .01). By contrast, heart rate was significantly higher in patients with DMD (P <.001) and tended to increase further with age. Each STI variable for normal control subjects increased significantly with age (P ≤ .01); QII, left ventricular ejection time (LVET), and pre-ejection period (PEP), in addition, decreased with increasing heart rate (P ≤ .05). In dystrophic patients QII and LVET decreased with increasing heart rate (P < .001) but were not influenced by age. None of the other STI values in dystrophic patients was significantly influenced by either age or heart rate. Mean QII, LVET, and QI were shorter and PEP, isometric contraction time (ICT), and PEP/LVET ratio were longer (P < .001) for DMD patients than for normal control subjects. In 13/17 patients, QII and LVET were below the 95% confidence interval of the normal mean, whereas PEP, ICT, and PEP/LVET exceeded the upper limits of normal in 8, 9, and 11 patients, respectively. For dystrophic patients, the difference (Δ) between the observed values and those predicted from regression equations for normal control subjects was lower for QII, LVET, and QI (P < .01) but higher for PEP (P < .04), ICT, and PEP/LVET ratio (P < .001). Δ QII and Δ LVET increased with age (P = .001 and .032, respectively). Duchenne's muscular dystrophy is thus documented to be associated with substantial alterations in STI characteristics that suggest a compromise of global left ventricular performance. Some of these abnormalities increase with age, probably reflecting the progressive cardiomyopathy characteristic of this disease.

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A Close Examination of the Use of Systolic Time Intervals in the Calculation of Impedance Derived Cardiac Autonomic Balance and Regulation

Frontiers in Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnins.2021.625276 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Cameron R. Wiley ◽

Vida Pourmand ◽

Julian F. Thayer ◽

DeWayne P. Williams

Keyword(s):

Sympathetic Activity ◽

Parasympathetic Nervous System ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Ejection ◽

Future Research ◽

Time Interval ◽

Autonomic Balance ◽

Systolic Time Interval ◽

Systolic Time ◽

Ventricular Ejection Time

Traditionally, impedance derived measures of cardiac autonomic balance (CAB) and regulation (CAR) are calculated using indices of heart rate variability (HRV) that primarily reflect parasympathetic nervous system activity (e.g., high-frequency HRV | HF-HRV) and pre-ejection period (PEP; a systolic time interval and measure of sympathetic activity). However, HF-HRV and PEP are considered measures of chronotropic and inotropic cardiac influence, respectively. Left ventricular ejection time (LVET) is a systolic time interval that reflects sympathetic chronotropic influence, and therefore may be a more appropriate measure for calculating CAB and CAR compared to PEP. Thus, the current study evaluates both PEP and LVET in the calculation of CAB and CAR. Data from 158 healthy participants (mean age = 19.09 years old, SD = 1.84 years) were available for analyses. CAB and CAR values were calculated using both HF-HRV and the root mean square of successive differences, in addition to both PEP and LVET, in accordance with previously established guidelines. Analyses showed that correlations were significantly weaker between CAB and CAR calculated using LVET for both HF (z = 5.12, p < 0.001) and RMSSD (z = 5.26, p < 0.001) than with PEP. These data suggest that LVET, compared to PEP, provides better “autonomic space” as evidenced by a lack of correlation between CAB and CAR computed using LVET. We stress that future research consider calculating CAB and CAR using chronotropic measures for both parasympathetic and sympathetic activity, as doing so may yield more accurate and independent measures of cardiac autonomic activity compared to a mixture of inotropic (i.e., PEP) and chronotropic (i.e., HF-HRV) measures.

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Stroke volume and systolic time interval adjustments during bicycle exercise

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.1979.46.3.588 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 588-592 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

J. H. Vanfraechem

Keyword(s):

Stress Response ◽

Stroke Volume ◽

Work Load ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Ejection ◽

Time Interval ◽

Vo2 Max ◽

Systolic Time Interval ◽

Systolic Time ◽

Ventricular Ejection Time

By use of the impedance noninvasive method, cardiac output (Q), stroke volume (SV), heart rate (HR), Heather index (HI), and systolic time interval (STI) values were studied in 17 subjects working at 25, 50, and 75% of their maximal oxygen uptake (Vo2 max) on a Monark bicycle. A significant increase in SV at each work load and a concomitant decrease in positive expiratory pressure (PEP), left ventricular ejection time (LVET), and PEP/LVET were observed. The linear regression equation at 75% Vo2 max between LVET and HR and SV confirms the close relationship between these parameters. The significa-t increase of the contractility index (HI) showing the stress response of the myocardium is clearly assessed. At 75% work load, its correlation with SV is low; but the high level of the correlation (r = 0.90) between HI and HR in the stress response. Consequently the changes in STI and HI provide valuable information on SV adjustment during calibrated effort responses. Consequently, the changes in STI and HI, the relationship between STI and SV, and the study of SV, HR, and Q provide valuable information about the adjustment of these parameters during calibrated efforts.

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Value of Systolic Time Intervals in the Diagnosis of Large Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Fluid-Restricted and Mechanically Ventilated Preterm Infants

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.74.6.1069 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 74 (6) ◽

pp. 1069-1074

Author(s):

François Heitz ◽

Jean-Claude Fouron ◽

Nicolaas H. van Doesburg ◽

Harry Bard ◽

François Teasdale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patent Ductus Arteriosus ◽

Right Ventricular ◽

Ductus Arteriosus ◽

Systolic Time Intervals ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Ejection Time ◽

Time Intervals ◽

Systolic Time ◽

Ventricular Ejection Time ◽

Patent Ductus

M-mode echocardiographic features suggesting a patent ductus arteriosus are based on two groups of indirect criteria: dilation of the left cardiac cavities and changes of systolic time intervals. The reliability of the first group of criteria has been questioned in fluidlimited, mechanically ventilated preterm infants. The sensitivity of the systolic time intervals in the same circumstances is investigated. Twenty-three patients with a large patent ductus arteriosus were selected. Review of their echocardiograms shows that the sensitivity of the various criteria (expressed as percentage of positivity) was as follows: inversion of the ratio of left ventricular preejection period to right ventricular preejection period, 91.3%; left ventricular preejection period to left ventricular ejection time over right ventricular preejection period to right ventricular ejection time < 1, 83%; left atrium dilation, 74%; shortening of left ventricular preejection period, 70%; dilation of left ventricular internal dimensions in diastole, 65%; increase in left atrium/aorta, 52%; and decrease of left ventricular preejection period to left ventricular ejection time, 48%. Three criteria involving time intervals (left ventricular preejection period to right ventricular preejection period, left ventricular preejection period, and left ventricular preejection period to left ventricular ejection time) had 100% specificity. The lowest specificity was found with criteria involving the left atrium (left atrial to aortic root ratio 75% and left atrium 63%). It is concluded that study of systolic time intervals is a reliable means of detecting preterm infants with hemodynamically significant left-to-right shunt through a patent ductus arteriosus even if the infants are mechanically ventilated and fluid restricted.

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