Does end-diastolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PAEDP) accurately estimate mean left atrial pressure (LAMP) in patients with cardiac disease?
PAEDP is a reliable indirect estimate of mean left atrial pressure only in patients with normal pulmonary vascular resistance.
Simultaneously recorded values for mean left atrial pressure (LAMP) and end-diastolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PAEDP) were compared in 28 patients with acute or chronic cardiac disease. Atrial pressure was varied by alterations in blood volume or the administration of inotropic agents. One hundred twenty paired values were divided into three groups according to the pulmonary vascular resistance which was calculated on each occasion. Although LAMP and PAEDP were shown to correlate significantly at all levels of pulmonary vascular resistance, worthwhile estimates of LAMP could only be obtained from PAEDP when the pulmonary vascular resistance was normal.
Jenkins et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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