Ultrasound Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ultrasound, including details on screening, diagnosis, pregnancy, detection.

Diastolic function: a sonographer's approach to the essential echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular diastolic function.

Gilman G, Nelson TA, Hansen WH, Khandheria BK, Ommen SR

Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Noninvasive assessment of left ventricular filling pressures by echocardiography has been validated by invasive hemodynamic studies and correlated with clinical findings. A comprehensive echocardiographic examination based on the referral diagnosis and patient symptomatology routinely includes efforts to measure specific parameters of left ventricular diastolic function. We provide a step-by-step approach to goal-directed echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function.

Published 5 February 2007 in J Am Soc Echocardiogr, 20(2): 199-209.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ultrasound Research Today. All Rights Reserved.