DOPPLER-ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF L EFT ATRIAL AND LEFT-VENTRICULAR FUNCTIONS IN RIGHT BUNDLE-BRANCH BLOCK

Electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and Doppler echocardiographic studies were performed in 44 patients with coronary heart disease and complete right bundle branch block. The patients were found to have an impaired phase pattern of left ventricular systole and diastole as mo re prolonged length of its isometric relaxation and contraction, lower economic feasibility and efficiency of its contraction, moderate dila tion and hypertrophy. Hemodynamic abnormalities in the left heart in t hese patients are closely correlate with the changes in the phase patt ern of right ventricular systole and they turn out to be so greater as the degree of its hypertrophy is. In complete right bundle branch blo ck, left ventricular, pump dysfunction leads to decreased cardiac outp ut and cardiac index, increased total peripheral vascular resistance, thus predisposing to impaired greater circulation.