Enhanced coronary flow velocity during intra-aortic balloon pumping assessed by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography.

Objectives: The study was done to determine potential utility of measuring coronary flow velocity (CFV) by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) during intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP).

Background: Use of IABP has been shown to increase CFV assessed by an invasive technique. The CFV in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) can be measured by TTDE.

Simultaneous assessment of wall motion and coronary flow velocity in the left anterior descending coronary artery during dipyridamole stress echocardiography.

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the feasibility and clinical meaning of simultaneous assessment of wall motion and coronary flow velocity (CFV) reserve in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) by transthoracic approach for detecting LAD stenosis during dipyridamole stress echocardiography.

Background: Coronary flow reserve plays an important role, which can be evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography during vasodilator stress.

Methods: Dipyridamole stress test was performed in 110 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.

Persistence of systolic coronary flow reversal predicts irreversible dysfunction after reperfused anterior myocardial infarction.

Objective: To investigate serial assessments of systolic coronary flow reversal in the infarct related artery for predicting poor left ventricular functional recovery after reperfused acute myocardial infarction.

Setting: Regional hospital.

Patients And Methods: 49 patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction had transthoracic Doppler echocardiography to record coronary flow velocity in the left anterior descending coronary artery immediately after successful primary coronary angioplasty (day 0), and at 48 hours, one week, and three weeks.

Paradoxical increase in coronary flow velocity after termination of acetylcholine infusion is a marker of the impaired vasodilatation at coronary microvessels in patients with angina and normal coronary arteries.

Some patients with anginal chest pain and normal coronary arteries exhibit a paradoxical increase in coronary flow velocity after termination of acetylcholine infusion. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this paradoxical increase in the flow velocity is associated with the impaired microvascular dilatation to pharmacological stimuli. We infused graded doses of endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (10, 50, and 100 microg/min for 2 min) and the endothelium-independent vasodilators, papaverine and nitroglycerin, into the left coronary artery in 15 patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries.

Effect of ventricular pacing on coronary blood flow in patients with normal coronary arteries.

Although ventricular pacing is thought to produce impairment of left ventricular function by altering the sequence of ventricular activation and AV dyssynchrony, little is known about the effect of ventricular pacing on coronary blood flow. We measured coronary blood flow and coronary flow reserve in the left anterior descending coronary artery during sinus rhythm, and during both atrial and ventricular pacing at a rate of 100 ppm in 14 patients with normal coronary arteries. The double product increased significantly during both types of pacing.