Off-line analysis of colour tissue Doppler during dobutamine stress echocardiography is feasible (>90% trace acquisition in basal and mid segments) and reproducible in 11 left ventricular segments.
Observational (n=92)
Is off-line post-processing of colour tissue Doppler during dobutamine stress echocardiography feasible and reproducible for quantifying regional myocardial function?
Off-line tissue Doppler measurement during dobutamine stress echocardiography is feasible and reproducible, particularly for systolic velocities in basal segments.
AIMS: Off-line post-processing of colour tissue Doppler from digital loops may allow objective quantification of dobutamine stress echocardiography. We assessed the reproducibility of off-line measurements of regional myocardial velocities. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nine observers analysed 10 studies, each making 2400 observations. Coefficients of variation in basal segments from apical windows, at rest and maximal stress, were 9-14% and 11-18% for peak systolic velocity, 16-18% and 17-19% for time-to-peak systolic velocity, 9-17% and 18-24% for systolic velocity time integral, and 18-23% and 21-27% for systolic acceleration. Coefficients of variation for diastolic velocities in basal segments at rest were 11-40%. Coefficients of variation for peak systolic velocity were 10-24% at rest and 14-28% at peak in mid segments, and 19-53% and 29-69% in apical segments. From parasternal windows coefficients of variation for peak systolic velocity were 14-16% in basal posterior, and 19-29% in mid-anterior segments. High variability makes measurement unreliable in apical and basal anterior septal segments. The feasibility of obtaining traces was tested in 92 subjects, and >90% in all basal and mid segments apart from the anterior septum. CONCLUSION: Quantification of myocardial functional reserve by off-line analysis of colour tissue Doppler acquired during dobutamine stress is feasible and reproducible in 11 segments of the left ventricle. The most reliable measurements are systolic velocities of longitudinal motion in basal segments.
Alan G. Fraser (Wed,) conducted a observational in Patients undergoing dobutamine stress echocardiography (n=92). Off-line post-processing of colour tissue Doppler was evaluated on Reproducibility (coefficients of variation) and feasibility of off-line measurements of regional myocardial velocities. Off-line analysis of colour tissue Doppler during dobutamine stress echocardiography is feasible (>90% trace acquisition in basal and mid segments) and reproducible in 11 left ventricular segments.