DETERMINATION OF DIASTOLIC HEART FUNCTION WITH ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND MEASUREMENT OF PULMONARY WEDGE PRESSURE IN HORSES

In twenty horses with and 10 horses without heart disease (28 warm-blo oded horses, 1 Thoroughbred and 1 Standardbred) pulmonary capillary we dge pressure as an index of left ventricular filling pressure was meas ured immediately after m-mode, b-mode- and dopplerechocardiography. Ho rses were nor sedated. The relationship between m-mode parameters of m itral and aortic valve motion and dopplerechographic mitral inflow pat terns, which are both influenced by diastolic left ventricular filling as well as the results of the invasive technique was tested. Values f or pulmonary wedge pressure were significantly different (p=0,0001) be tween horses with left heart diseases and the healthy control group. I n fifteen horses with elevated and three horses with normal filling pr essure but prolonged conduction interval, a ''B-notch'' was detected. In spite of significant correlations between values obtained from m-mo de, ECG (Q-MVB, Q-MVC, Q-MVB/AVC-E, Q-MVC/AVC-E, Q-MVC/IVRT) and pulmo nary wedge pressure, noninvasive estimation of left ventricular fillin g pressures was not possible with sufficient accuracy in the individua l horse. Although m-mode-echocardiography cannot replace the accurate invasive determination of pulmonary wedge pressure it can help to deci de, whether assessment of pulmonary wedge pressure is required. In seq uelae heart catheterization then is a useful technique in providing in formation regarding hemodynamic importance and affects on per formance of a clinically and an echocardiographically detected heart disease.