A pulsed Doppler echocardiographic method for calculating pulmonary and systemic blood flow in atrial level shunts: validation studies in animals and initial human experience.

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of a quantitative two-dimensional range-gated Doppler echocardiographic method for estimating systemic and pulmonary flows in an open-chest canine preparation with a variable-sized atrial level shunt mimicking an atrial septal defect. In addition, we also report our initial experience with 10 children who had isolated atrial septal defects and who had pulmonary and systemic flow rations (QP:QS) determined by Doppler echocardiography simultaneously with green dye-shunt calculations in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Ten mongrel dogs weighing 20 to 30 kg were anesthetized, intubated, and mechanically ventilated. Previously calibrated electromagnetic flow probes were placed around the ascending aorta and main pulmonary artery, and an atrial level shunt was created by inserting one-half inch diameter cannulae into the left and right atrial appendages and connecting both cannulae to 3/4 inch tubing that passed through a previously calibrated extracorporeal mechanical roller pump. This permitted quantitation as well as regulation of shunt size and direction. With each step-by-step variation in shunt magnitude, systemic and pulmonary flows were estimated by Doppler echocardiography and were matched to the simultaneous electromagnetic flowmeter recordings. Doppler-estimated systemic blood flow was obtained by imaging and recording Doppler flow velocities in the ascending aorta with the transducer positioned directly over the vessel. Doppler pulmonary flow was obtained by imaging the main pulmonary artery on the short-axis view and by determining flow velocity with the sample volume placed distal to the pulmonic valve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)