Echocardiographic evaluation of left atrial performance by using left atrial appendage flow velocity

Abstract

Background:  Left atrial (LA) functional Study has a traditional role in evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function. The widely accepted echocardiographic parameters used in routine clinical practice to assess left ventricular diastolic function include pulsed-wave doppler mitral inflow analysis, tissue doppler imaging measurements, and LA dimension estimation. Left atrial appendage doppler studies using early diastolic emptying velocity, late diastolic emptying velocity and LAA filling velocity imaging to assess LA function were validated in patients with valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Currently, there is no evidence regarding the Left atrial appendage doppler studies used in identifying the performance of left atrium and diastolic function in patients with Normal Sinus Rhythm.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the performance of left atrial function in patients with normal sinus rhythm using Left atrial appendage doppler studies.

Methods: In a study population of 63 patients aged >18 years old who undergone routine echocardiographic study for Cardiac evaluation between Jan 2017 to Jan 2018, among which 40 (64%) were males and 23 (36%) were females. For those Patient’s, left atrial appendage flow velocity and diastolic doppler parameters are noted from G E echocardiography machine by the single observer.

Results: The Mean Left Atrial Appendage (late-diastolic emptying velocity) in diastolic dysfunction patients (39.74) associated with impaired left atrial function, when compared with the mean Left Atrial Appendage (late-diastolic emptying velocity) in patients without diastolic dysfunction (54.76) respectively.

Conclusion: In this study, we founded that Patient with diastolic dysfunction had an impaired left atrial function that was measured by left atrial appendage flow velocity.