1990 Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 319-328
We analyzed the relationships among parameters of left ventricular (LV) early diastolic filling flow (EDF) obtained with pulsed Doppler echocardiography, mean pulmonary wedge pressure (PCWP) and the time constant of LV pressure fall calculated by either Weiss' (Tw) or Thompson's (Tb) method. PCWP correlated with the peak velocity (R) (r=0.537, p<0.05), acceleration (Ac) (r=0.545, p<0.05) and de-celeration (Dc) (r=0.606, p<0.01) of LVEDF. In contrast, Tb cor-related only with the time to the peak of LVEDF (TPF) (r=0.487, p<0.05), and Tw did not correlate with the Doppler-derived indices signi-ficantly. After correcting for the effect of PCWP, significant partial cor-relations between R and Tw (r=-0.535, p<0.05), and between Ac and both Tw (r=-0.606, p<0.01) and Tb (r=-0.569, p<0.05) were found. Dc did not correlate with Tw or Tb. These results suggest that the level of left atrial pressure may mask the relationship between parameters of LVEDF and LV relaxation, and that the relations among these variables vary with individual indices of LVEDF.
