Background: The reduction of right ventricular function characterizes patients with severe pulmonary hypertension (PAH). Monitoring right ventricular function therefore is important. Echocardiography is the method of choice for this purpose. The so called Tei-Index seems to be an adequate diagnostic tool with prognostic relevance. We here compared Tei-Index with parameters of right heart catheterization in patients with PAH.
Patients and methods: Tei-Index was calculated in 42 patients from the sum of isovolumetric contraction time and relaxation time divided by ejection time. A right heart catheter was performed the same day and pulmonary arterial mean pressure (PAPm) as well as pulmonary arterial resistance (PAR), central venous saturation (SVO (2)), central venous pressure (ZVD) stroke volume (SV) and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) were recorded.
Results: Correlation were observed between in each case Tei-Index and RVEF (r = - 0.72; p < 0.001), SV (r = - 0.52; p < 0.001), ZVD (r = 0.65; p < 0.001) and SVO (2) (r = - 0.58; p < 0.001). Tei-index did not correlate with PAPm and PAR.
Conclusion: Correlations of Tei-Index with parameters of right ventricular function derived from right heart catheterization support the usefulness of 2D-doppler echocardiography for monitoring right heart function in PAH patients.