Glossopharyngeal insufflation (GI), a technique used by breath-hold divers to increase lung volume and augment diving depth and duration, is associated with untoward hemodynamic consequences. To study the cardiac effects of GI, we performed transthoracic echocardiography, using the subcostal window, in five elite breath-hold divers at rest and during GI. During GI, heart rate increased in all d...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES To evaluate ventricular function using Doppler echocardiography in patients with an atrial septal defect (ASD). METHODS The study involved 158 children, who were divided into two groups: Group 1 comprised 111 children with an ASD, and Group 2, 47 healthy children. Left ventricular systolic function was evaluated by measuring the ejection fraction, the shortening fr...

BACKGROUND Right ventricular dilatation in the setting of acute pulmonary embolism is associated with an adverse prognosis. Treatment with a pulmonary vasodilator has never been studied systematically. We evaluated the effect of epoprostenol on right ventricular diameter and function in patients with acute pulmonary embolism and right ventricular dilatation. METHODS In a randomized, single-bl...

Incidence and prognostic relevance of supraventricular arrhythmias were evaluated in nine studies. These studies investigated patients with different forms of pulmonary hypertension. Supraventricular arrhythmias were more often found in patients with group two pulmonary hypertension. Common findings in these patients were elevated right atrial pressure and diameters and reduced tricuspid annula...

BACKGROUND Blood flow between the right and left ventricles is subject to the continuity equation and systolic ventricular interdependence. Quantification of this relationship might aid in understanding inter-ventricular function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and quantify ventricular interdependence by directly comparing right and left ventricular systolic function though echocardi...

Left-to-right systolic ventricular interaction (i.e., the phenomenon by which the left ventricle contributes to most of the flow and to two-thirds of the pressure generated by the right ventricle) originates from transmission of systolic forces between the ventricles through the interventricular septum and from the mechanical effect of the common muscle fibers encircling their free walls. As a ...

BACKGROUND Observational studies suggest that conventional right ventricular apical pacing may have a deleterious effect on left ventricular function. In this study, we examined whether biventricular pacing is superior to right ventricular apical pacing in preventing deterioration of left ventricular systolic function and cardiac remodeling in patients with bradycardia and a normal ejection fra...