TY - JOUR
T1 - Human fetal tricuspid and mitral deceleration time
T2 - Changes with normal pregnancy and intrauterine growth retardation
AU - Reed, Kathryn L.
AU - Appleton, Christopher P.
AU - Sahn, David J.
AU - Anderson, Caroline F.
PY - 1989/12
Y1 - 1989/12
N2 - Studies in instrumented adults have shown an association between Doppler echocardiography-derived atrioventricular valve deceleration times and ventricular function. To determine how gestational age affects deceleration time in the tricuspid and mitral valve, pulsed Doppler ultrasonographic examinations were performed in 54 normal human fetuses. In addition, 26 fetuses with growth retardation and the absence of end-diastolic Doppler velocities in the umbilical artery were examined. Measurements were obtained from strip chart recordings; between three and five beats were used to obtain an average heart rate, ratio of peak velocity at atrial contraction to peak velocity in early diastole, and deceleration time in early diastole. Deceleration times increased during gestation from 86 ± 27 to 116 ± 18 msec in the tricuspid valve and from 98 ± 25 to 132 ± 21 msec in the mitral valve. Fetuses with growth retardation and the absence of end-diastolic Doppler velocities in the umbilical artery had longer deceleration times than those of normal fetuses (p < 0.01). The increase in deceleration time across both atrioventricular valves in normal fetuses may be related to heart rate, an increased rate of ventricular relaxation, or an increase in ventricular compliance. The fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation and the absence of end-diastolic velocities in the umbilical artery have abnormally increased deceleration times; in the abnormal fetus this may be a result of impaired ventricular relaxation or decreased ventricular compliance.
AB - Studies in instrumented adults have shown an association between Doppler echocardiography-derived atrioventricular valve deceleration times and ventricular function. To determine how gestational age affects deceleration time in the tricuspid and mitral valve, pulsed Doppler ultrasonographic examinations were performed in 54 normal human fetuses. In addition, 26 fetuses with growth retardation and the absence of end-diastolic Doppler velocities in the umbilical artery were examined. Measurements were obtained from strip chart recordings; between three and five beats were used to obtain an average heart rate, ratio of peak velocity at atrial contraction to peak velocity in early diastole, and deceleration time in early diastole. Deceleration times increased during gestation from 86 ± 27 to 116 ± 18 msec in the tricuspid valve and from 98 ± 25 to 132 ± 21 msec in the mitral valve. Fetuses with growth retardation and the absence of end-diastolic Doppler velocities in the umbilical artery had longer deceleration times than those of normal fetuses (p < 0.01). The increase in deceleration time across both atrioventricular valves in normal fetuses may be related to heart rate, an increased rate of ventricular relaxation, or an increase in ventricular compliance. The fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation and the absence of end-diastolic velocities in the umbilical artery have abnormally increased deceleration times; in the abnormal fetus this may be a result of impaired ventricular relaxation or decreased ventricular compliance.
KW - Doppler echocardiography
KW - cardiac physiology
KW - human fetuses
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0024847694&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0024847694&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0002-9378(89)90919-8
DO - 10.1016/0002-9378(89)90919-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 2603906
AN - SCOPUS:0024847694
SN - 0002-9378
VL - 161
SP - 1532
EP - 1535
JO - American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
JF - American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
IS - 6 PART 1
ER -