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Aim: Doppler echocardiography has become the standard imaging modality for diastolic function and provides pathophysiological insight into systolic and diastolic heart failure. In this study, we aimed to obtain normal echocardiographic Doppler parameters of healthy Turkish population. Methods: Among 31 collaborating institutions from all regions of Turkey, 1154 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Predefined protocols were used for all participants during echocardiographic examination and The American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging recommendations were used for echocardiographic Doppler measurements. Results: A total of 967 healthy participants were enrolled in this study after applying exclusion criteria. Echocardiographic examination was obtained from all subjects following predefined protocols. Mitral E wave velocity and E/A ratio were higher in females and decreased progressively in advancing ages. E wave deceleration time and A wave velocity were increased with aging. Assessment of tissue Doppler velocities showed that left ventricular lateral e′, septal e′, and septal s′ were higher in younger subjects and in females. E/e′ ratio was increased progressively with advancing decades. Right ventricular e′ and s′ were decreased but a′ was increased with increasing age. Septal e′ lower than 8 cm/s was 1.9% in the fifth decade and 13.7% in ages older than 50 years. The E/e′ ratio greater than 15 (and also 13) was not found. Conclusion: This study, for the first time, provides echocardiographic reference ranges for normal cardiac Doppler data in healthy Turkish population which will be useful in routine clinical practice as well as in future clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early diagnosis and identification of high-risk non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is an important issue. Fragmented QRS (fQRS) complexes are defined as various RSR' patterns on 12-lead resting electrocardiography (ECG). Previous studies revealed that fQRS is related with increased ventricular arrhythmias and cardiovascular mortality. The relation between fQRS and mortality in acute coronary syndromes, mitral valve disease severity and structural heart disease has been shown in different studies. The aim of this study was to investigate relation between fQRS and long-term cardiovascular mortality in NSTEMI patients.Methods: Patients who admitted to our emergency unit and diagnosed NSTEMI between 2012 and 2013, 433 patients were included prospectively. fQRS complexes determined in 85 patients. Patients were divided into two groups according to fQRS existence. All patients evaluated for their clinical, laboratory, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic characteristics. Angiographic features of 315 patients who underwent coronary angiography was also recorded. In-hospital, 30-day and 12-month mortality was compared between these groups.Results: Demographic characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors were similar in both groups except hyperlipidemia. GRACE risk score was higher in patients with fQRS and positively correlated with existence of fQRS. In hospital and 30-days mortality were similar but late mortality was higher in fQRS group. Predictors of late mortality were found to be age, heart rate, male sex in addition to fQRS.Conclusion: We found a relation between fQRS and late mortality. Fragmented QRS may be seen as a cautionary signal for extensive myocardial damage and thereby increased long-term mortality for patients with NSTEMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, tricuspid valve infective endocarditis ( TVIE) is encountered in daily clinical practice more frequently due to the increasing prevalence of illicit intravenous drug use and the implantation of intracardiac devices. In this study, we compared findings from intra-operative live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiograms (3D TEE) and two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiograms (2D TEE) of 10 patients who underwent surgery for native tricuspid valve ( TV) endocarditis. Unlike 2D TEE, 3D TEE allowed en face visualization of the 3 TV leaflets from both, atrial and ventricular aspects, in 9 of the 10 cases. In the remaining patient, in whom 3 DTEE could not identify all 3 leaflets en face, the TV was found essentially destroyed at surgery. Using 3D TEE, the number of vegetations was accurately reported when compared with the surgical record. Furthermore, the orientation of each vegetation was the same as noted in the surgical findings. 2D TEE missed the identification of vegetations in 5 patients. The attachment site of vegetations to the TV were also not characterized by 2D TEE in 5 patients. In all 10 cases, 3D TEE characterized the vegetations more accurately with larger dimensions, including those in the azimuthal axis, and volumes. In addition, a perivalvular abscess that lead to surgical intervention was identified by 3D TEE, however, missed by 2D TEE. In conclusion, 3D TEE allows en face visualization of the TV apparatus permitting accurate description of the number and dimensions of vegetations identified by our surgical standard, which ultimately informs patients' prognosis and dictates the timing and planning for surgical intervention. Its use should be in conjunction with 2D TEE when evaluating TVIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]