Copyright © 1984 by the European Society of Cardiology.
© 1984 The European Society of Cardiology
Reproducibility of M-mode echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular function. Significance of the temporal range of measurements
Cardiovascular Laboratory, Helsinki University Central Hospital, and Research Laboratories of the State Alcohol Monopoly (Alko) Helsinki, Finland
Received 19 May 1983; revised 19 October 1983; .
Address for correspondence Dr. Markku Kupari, MD, Cardiovascular Laboratory. Helsinki University Central Hospital, SF-00290 Helsinki 29, Finland.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of M-mode echocardiography in sequential studies on left ventricular (LV) function. To that end, 3 to 8 serial recordings were performed on 4 groups of healthy subjects (total number, 49) within dissimilar time periods: (1) within 3 h, (2) within 24 h, (3) within 1 to 2 weeks and (4) within 14 to 18 months. The examination technique was carefully standardized and the recordings were analysed by digitization and computer assistance; the data were averaged from 5 beats on each recording. The random variation ofLV transverse dimensions and performance was roughly equal in the first 3 of these studies; the mean coefficients of variation ranged from 1.2 to 1.8% for end-diastolic dimension, from 1.7 to 2.3% for end systolic dimension, and from 2.5 to 3.6% for ejection fraction. In the long term study the respective mean coefficients were larger: 3.2%, 3.7% and 5.5%. The coefficients of variation for estimates of stroke volume, cardiac output, and peripheral vascular resistance ranged from 4.1 to 8.4% in studies completed within 1 day or inside Ior2 weeks but increased to 10-15.5% in the long-term study. The beat to beat variability of LV dimensions and performance, as assessed in a subgroup of 11 subjects, was roughly equal in quantity to the variability observed in the long-term study. It is concluded that provided the beat-to-beat variation is adequately taken into account the reproducibility of the basic M-mode echocardiographic LV measurements is excellent in short term studies in normal man and is satisfactory in studies repeated at intervals of several months or even longer. The use of this method to assess changes in cardiac volumes and haemodynamics should, however, be restricted to short-term studies.
Key Words: Reproducibility • echocardiography • left ventricular function
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