Doppler echocardiography can provide a comprehensive assessment of right ventricular afterload.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate novel Doppler echocardiographic methods for a comprehensive assessment of right ventricular afterload, including pulmonary artery (PA) mean pressure (PAMP) and the PA pressure waveform.

Methods: The study comprised 109 patients who underwent right-heart catheterization simultaneously (group A, n = 31) with Doppler echocardiography on 35 occasions or nonsimultaneously (group B, n = 78) within 24 hours of Doppler echocardiography. Right ventricular afterload variables were obtained using pulsed Doppler in the PA and continuous Doppler of tricuspid regurgitation. The intervals from QRS to the opening and closing of the pulmonary valve and to the peak velocity of tricuspid regurgitation were measured. PA end-diastolic pressure, PA systolic pressure, and PA notch pressure were calculated. The Doppler-derived pressure curve was separated into 3 parts with fitted second-order curves.

Results: Catheter PAMP and Doppler PA systolic pressure in group A were strongly related (R = 0.85). The regression equation from group A (PAMP = 0.65 x Doppler PA systolic pressure - 1.2 mm Hg) was used to calculate PAMP in group B. There was no difference between catheter PAMP (mean, 39 +/- 18 mm Hg; range, 8-95 mm Hg) and Doppler PAMP (mean, 39 +/- 15 mm Hg; range, 12-83 mm Hg) (P = .85). The systolic areas under the curves for catheter and Doppler PAMP in group A were 20 +/- 4.7 and 20 +/- 4.0 mm Hg s, respectively (P = .52), and the diastolic areas were 21 +/- 5.7 and 22 +/- 6.3 mm Hg s, respectively (P = .21).

Conclusion: A comprehensive assessment of right ventricular afterload that includes PAMP and the PA pressure waveform can be provided by Doppler echocardiography in patients with a wide range of PA pressures and different diagnoses.