Three-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography To Evaluate Left Ventricular Function In Patients With Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Following Tongxinluo Treatment

Objective: Bying comparing the correlation between three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) and three-dimensional left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), to explore the 3D-STE to evaluate the left ventricle of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (acute STEMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) following routine treatment with Tongxinluo drugs. Methods: Altogether, 60 patients with acute STEMI and 30 healthy adults were selected, and the patients were randomly divided into the routine group and the Tongxinluo group, with 30 people in each group. All patients underwent PCI, and routine echocardiography and 3D-STE assessments were performed for each group 72 h after PCI and 12 months after PCI to obtain the following left ventricular related functional parameters: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), end-ventricular septal end-diastolic thickness (IVSD), left ventricular posterior wall end-diastolic thickness (LVPWD), left ventricular short axis shortening fraction (LVFS), Simpson’s left ventricular ejection fraction (Simpson’s LVEF), three-dimensional left ventricular ejection fraction (3D-LVEF), global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), left ventricular twist angle (LVtw), Torsion (Tor), peak strain dispersion (PSD), and myocardial comprehensive index (MCI). The same parameters were collected in the control group, the results were compared, and the correlation analysis between GCS, GLS, LVtw, Tor, and MCIF, and 3D-LVE was performed. Results: Compared with the control group, the LVFS, LVEF (Simpson), 3D-LVEF, GLS, GCS, LVtw, Tor, and MCI significantly decreased in patients with STEMI after PCI, while the PSD significantly increased ( P <0.05). Compared with the values 72 h after PCI, the LVEDD, LVFS, LVEF (Simpson), 3D-LVEF, GLS, GCS, LVtw, Tor, and MCI significantly increased at 12 m after PCI, while PSD significantly decreased ( P <0.05). No significant difference was observed between the two groups at 72 h after PCI ( P >0.05). At 12 months after PCI, the LVEF, GLS, GCS, LVtw, Tor, and MCI of the Tongxinluo group were higher than those of the routine group. The PSD was significantly lower in the Tongxinluo group ( P <0.05). MCI and 3D-LVEF have the strongest correlation and highest consistency, which can best reflect the changes in the left ventricular function in patients with acute STEMI after PCI. Conclusion: 3D-STE can be used to evaluate the protective effect of Tongxinluo on the left ventricular function in patients with acute STEMI after PCI.

Evolution of Echocardiographic Abnormalities Identified in Previously Healthy Individuals Recovering from COVID-19

(1) Background: Although the infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects primarily the lungs, it is well known that associated cardiovascular (CV) complications are important contributors to the increased morbidity and mortality of COVID-19. Thus, in some situations, their diagnosis is overlooked, and during recovery, some patients continue to have symptoms enclosed now in the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. (2) Methods: In 102 patients, under 55 years old, and without a history of CV diseases, all diagnosed with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, we assessed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) four patterns of abnormalities frequently overlapping each other. Their evolution was followed at 3 and 6 months. (3) Results: In 35 subjects, we assessed impaired left ventricular function (LVF), in 51 increased systolic pulmonary artery pressure, in 66 diastolic dysfunction (DD) with normal LVF, and in 23 pericardial effusion/thickening. All TTE alterations alleviated during the follow-up, the best evolution being observed in patients with pericarditis, and a considerably worse one in those with DD, thus with a reduction in severity (4) Conclusions: In patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, several cardiac abnormalities may be assessed by TTE, most of them alleviating in time. Some of them, especially DD, may persist, raising the presumption of chronic alterations.

Mitral Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (MAPSE) as a Simple Index for Assessing Left Ventricular Function: An Observational Study

Background: Mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) has been proposed as a parameter for assessing left ventricular function. The assessment of LVF has major diagnostic and prognostic implications in patients with cardiovascular diseases. LVF is measured by Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction, however the accuracy of LVEF estimation by two dimensional echocardiography is limited especially in patients with poor image quality. Mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) measurement predicts left ventricular function even in conditions with suboptimal echo window. Objective: To assess the correlation of MAPSE derived LVEF with LVEF measured by Modified Simpson’s method. Methods: This is a cross sectional study which included 279 patients admitted at our tertiary care hospital from December 2019 to March 2020 and the patients were divided in two groups. Group A – Patients with LVEF>= 50% and Group B – Patients with LVEF<50%. All patients underwent 2D echocardiographic examination using Modified Simpsons’ method and MAPSE measurement. The VIVID E9, VIVID T8, VIVID E95 and PHILIPS echocardiography machine was used for the non-invasive measurements. MAPSE was recorded at medial and lateral mitral annuli in the apical four-chamber approach. Results: On analysis, a cut off value for average MAPSE-S (medial mitral annuli) was 8.5 was obtained, denoting preserved LV function with sensitivity of 81.7%, specificity of 84.9%, positive predictive value of 91.6% and negative predictive value of 84.9%. The AUC for MAPSE-S was 0.822. Similarly, the cut off value of average MAPSE-L (lateral mitral annuli) was 7.5 denoting impaired LV functions with an AUC of 0.826, sensitivity of 82.8%, specificity of 72.0%, positive predictive value of 85.6% and negative predictive value of 72.0%. The AUC of 82.6% was observed for MAPSE-L. Conclusion: MAPSE reflects longitudinal myocardial shortening. MAPSE is a rapid and sensitive echocardiographic parameter for assessing normal LV function and global LV systolic dysfunction.