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How best to assess right ventricular function by echocardiography*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2015

Michael P. DiLorenzo ,
Shivani M. Bhatt  and
Laura Mercer-Rosa
Michael P. DiLorenzo
Affiliation:
Division of Cardiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Shivani M. Bhatt
Affiliation:
Division of Cardiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Laura Mercer-Rosa*
Affiliation:
Division of Cardiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
*
Correspondence to: Dr L. Mercer-Rosa, MD, MSCE, Division of Cardiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America. Tel: 2674268143; Fax: 2674256108; E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Right ventricular function is a crucial determinant of long-term outcomes of children with heart disease. Quantification of right ventricular systolic and diastolic performance by echocardiography is of paramount importance, given the prevalence of children with heart disease, particularly those with involvement of the right heart, such as single or systemic right ventricles, tetralogy of Fallot, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Identification of poor right ventricular performance can provide an opportunity to intervene. In this review, we will go through the different systolic and diastolic indices, as well as their application in practice. Quantification of right ventricular function is possible and should be routinely performed using a combination of different measures, taking into account each disease state. Quantification is extremely useful for individual patient follow-up. Laboratories should continue to strive to optimise reproducibility through quality improvement and quality assurance efforts in addition to investing in technology and training for new, promising techniques, such as three-dimensional echocardiography.

Keywords

Echocardiographyright ventricleright ventricular functionsystolic functiondiastolic function
Type
Original Articles
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 25 , Issue 8: HeartWeek 2015 , December 2015 , pp. 1473 - 1481
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2015 

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Footnotes

*

Presented at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cardiology 2015: 18th Annual Update on Pediatric and Congenital Cardiovascular Disease: “Challenges and Dilemmas”, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States of America, Wednesday February 11, 2015 – Sunday, February 15, 2015.

**

Michael P. DiLorenzo and Shivani M. Bhatt are co-first authors because they contributed equally to this manuscript.

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