Estimation of pulmonary arterial wedge pressure by pulsed Doppler echocardiography and phonocardiography

Pulsed Doppler echocardiography is widely used to evaluate left ventricular diastolic function. Limited data are available regarding the use of this technique in the noninvasive assessment of left ventricular filling pressure. Recent Doppler studies indicated a direct relation between the ratio of early-to-late transmitral diastolic filling velocity ( E A ratio) and left ventricular filling pressure. 1–4 In addition, earlier work showed that left ventricular isovolumic relaxation time is inversely related to pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. 5 The aims of this study were to further examine these relations, and to determine if E A ratio and isovolumic relaxation time could be used to predict pulmonary arterial wedge pressure noninvasively.