Echocardiographic estimate of left atrial pressure in children.

Echocardiographic estimates of left atrial pressure using the Q-MVC/AVC-E ratio were obtained from 21 patients in the early postoperative period and compared to simultaneously recorded mean left atrial pressure. A good correlation was obtained between mean left atrial pressure and the Q-MVC/AVC-E ratio (r = 0.81, p less than 0.001) with a regression equation of: left atrial pressure = 11.09 (Q-MVC/AVC-E) + 0.84. The present data compared to those of previous investigators reveal that, although there are quantitative differences between each of the studies, the correlation coefficient of each study is good. Echocardiography provides a useful noninvasive estimate the left atrial pressure; however, each laboratory must establish its own normals.