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Different functional cardiac characteristics observed in term/preterm neonates by echocardiography and tissue doppler imaging.

Authors :
Ciccone MM
Scicchitano P
Zito A
Gesualdo M
Sassara M
Calderoni G
Di Mauro F
Ladisa G
Di Mauro A
Laforgia N
Source :
Early human development [Early Hum Dev] 2011 Aug; Vol. 87 (8), pp. 555-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 May 15.
Publication Year :
2011

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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br /> (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1872-6232
Volume :
87
Issue :
8
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Early human development
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
21576005
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.04.012