Assessment of left ventricular function and prognosis in survivors of acute myocardial infarction using Doppler ultrasound: a comparison with radionuclide ventriculography

Abstract

SummaryDoppler ultrasound was used to measure stroke distance and minute distance, and radionuclide ventriculography to measure left ventricular ejection fraction, before and after exercise, in 18 patients who had survived myocardial infarction a mean 90 days previously.Stroke distance fell on exercise in nine of the subjects and left ventricular ejection fraction in eight. The greatest falls in both stroke distance and ejection fraction occurred in the same seven patients. Within 18 months post‐infarction, two of the seven had died and another had suffered a further non‐fatal infarct. There were no late cardiac events in those whose stroke distance or ejection fraction rose with exercise. The two fatalities were amongst three with the poorest increase in minute distance on exercise.Assessment of left ventricular function in survivors of acute myocardial infarction as measured by Doppler ultrasound thus compares favourably with radionuclide ventriculography. The results suggest that this technique may have potential use as a quick, reliable and non‐invasive prognostic indicator.