Right ventricular function in preterm and term neonates: reference values for right ventricle areas and fractional area of change.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) fractional area of change (FAC) is a quantitative two-dimensional echocardiographic measurement of RV function. RV FAC expresses the percentage change in the RV chamber area between end-diastole (RV end-diastolic area [RVEDA]) to end-systole (RV end-systolic area [RVESA]). The objectives of this study were to determine the maturational (age- and weight-related) changes in RV FAC and RV areas and to establish reference values in healthy preterm and term neonates.

Markers of cardiovascular risk, insulin resistance, and ventricular dysfunction and remodeling in obese adolescents.

Objectives: To test our hypothesis that obese adolescents have left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and remodeling that are associated with markers of cardiovascular risk and insulin resistance (IR).

Study Design: In a cross-sectional study of 44 obese and 14 lean age-, sex-, Tanner stage-, and race-matched adolescents, IR, markers of cardiovascular risks, conventional and 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography measures of LV function and structure were evaluated and compared.

Results: The obese adolescents had significantly increased body mass index Z-score, systolic blood pressure, fasting insulin, IR, and atherogenic lipids compared with the lean adolescents.

Effects of frame rate on two-dimensional speckle tracking-derived measurements of myocardial deformation in premature infants.

Background: Frame rate (FR) of image acquisition is an important determinant of the reliability of 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE)-derived myocardial strain. Premature infants have relatively high heart rates (HR). The aim was to analyze the effects of varying FR on the reproducibility of 2DSTE-derived right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) longitudinal strain (LS) and strain rate (LSR) in premature infants.

Doppler echocardiography inaccurately estimates right ventricular pressure in children with elevated right heart pressure.

Background: Doppler echocardiography (DE) is widely used as a surrogate for right heart catheterization (RHC), the gold standard, to assess and monitor elevated right heart pressure in children. However, its accuracy has not been prospectively validated in children. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of DE in predicting simultaneously measured right ventricular (RV) pressure by RHC in pediatric patients and to determine if the degree of RV hypertension affects the accuracy of DE in assessing right heart pressure.

Feasibility and reproducibility of systolic right ventricular strain measurement by speckle-tracking echocardiography in premature infants.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) systolic function is an important prognostic determinant of cardiopulmonary pathologies in premature infants. Measurements of dominant RV longitudinal deformation are likely to provide a sensitive measure of RV function. An approach for image acquisition and postacquisition processing is needed for reliable and reproducible measurements of myocardial deformation by two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking echocardiography.