DIFFERENT FUNCTIONAL CARDIAC CHARACTERISTICS OBSERVED IN TERM/PRETERM NEONATES BY ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND TISSUE DOPPLER IMAGING

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIM: To establish, using echocardiography, color-flow Doppler and tissue doppler imaging (TDI), physiological values of systolic/diastolic indexes in healthy term/pre-term newborns, and to identify how different degrees of maturity influence morpho-functional cardiac alterations during the transitional period. STUDY DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: 33 term newborns (M = 19, F = 14; gestational ages: 37th-41st week), and 20 pre-term infants (M = 11, F = 9; gestational ages: 31st-36th week) admitted to our department were studied. All infants underwent to clinical and Doppler ultrasound evaluations, carried out by the third to fourth day. Investigations included: M-mode echocardiography, color-flow Doppler and TDI. OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS: Term and preterm neonates differed for: interventricular septum and left systolic/diastolic ventricle diameters (p<0.01 and <0.05 respectively); left ventricle posterior wall in systole (p<0.01); shortening and ejection fraction (p<0.05). Color-flow Doppler parameters on the tricuspid (peak E, peak A, ratio E/A; p<0.05) and on the mitral (peak E and E/A ratio; p<0.01) significantly differed between the two groups. Significant differences were also present for basal left ventricular lateral wall and right ventricular lateral wall in the Ew (p<0.01 and <0.05 respectively), Sw peak (p<0.01 and <0.05 respectively), and Ew/Aw (p<0.05). The isovolumetric relax time and the E/Ew measured on the medial mitral annulus also demonstrated significant differences (p<0.01) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: TDI is feasible in preterm neonates and enables assessment of myocardial velocities. With increasing gestational age, higher myocardial velocities and lower E/E' Œ ratios were found. TDI addition to standard neonatal echocardiography may provide further important information about cardiac function.


Tutti gli autori

  • DI MAURO A.;CICCONE M.M.;LAFORGIA N.

Titolo volume/Rivista

Non Disponibile


Anno di pubblicazione

2011

ISSN

0378-3782

ISBN

Non Disponibile


Numero di citazioni Wos

41

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile


Numero di citazioni Scopus

44

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile


Settori ERC

Non Disponibile

Codici ASJC

Non Disponibile