[Comparative clinical evaluation of left ventricular ejection time using carotid and ear pulses].

The aim of this study was to verify if in the clinical use the relationship between the morphology of the carotid pulse and of the ear densitogram was constant enough to validate the measurement of left ventricular ejection time from the ear densitogram. In 92 subjects, aged 5-84 years, carotid pulse and ear densitogram were simultaneously recorded. The ear densitogram was electronically processed with 3 different filters, in an effort to duplicate the carotid pulse and thus to facilitate the measurements of the ejection time. Mean ejection time was 265.5 +/- 24.87 msec. for carotid pulse, and 265.7 +/- 24.19, 265.2 +/- 24.25, 266.2 +/- 24.78 for the ear densitographic methods. Analysis of variance did not show any differences among the 4 methods. We conclude that quite a constant relationship between carotid pulse and ear densitogram is present in clinical measurements. Thus, the carotid pulse can be reliably substituted by the ear densitogram.