Prediction of severity of isolated aortic regurgitation by echocardiography: an aortic regurgitation index study.

Background: No single precise qualitative method is recommended for evaluating the severity of aortic regurgitation (AR). Quantitative methods for AR assessment are, typically, cumbersome and time-consuming. The purpose of this study was to develop a more comprehensive method for predicting the severity of AR.

Value of parasternal long-axis vena contracta width for predicting severity of aortic regurgitation in left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Correlations derived for the relations between parasternal long-axis vena contracta width and effective regurgitant orifice area, regurgitant volume, and regurgitant fraction were highly significant. A vena contracta width of <3.0 or >5.