The influence of cycle length on the radionuclide left ventricular volume curve acquired with a scintillation camera and ECG-triggered data processor.

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of cycle length on the parameters of left ventricular function such as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), ejection rates and ejection times. Radionuclide (in vivo 99mTc-labelled red blood cells) volume curves were obtained from ten chacma baboons. Transoesophageal atrial pacing of the baboon hearts was controlled by a microcomputer. A sequence of four beats was generated during arrhythmic pacing, consisting of two beats of equal cycle lengths, followed by a beat 15% shorter and a subsequent beat after a compensatory pause. Triggering impulses were sent to the data processor coincident with one of these beats until sufficient counts were obtained, before advancing to the next beat. Global LVEFs were found to be influenced by the preceding cycle length, increasing on a previous long cycle and decreasing on a previous short cycle and were even found to be influenced one normal beat on from the unrepresentative cycle. Similar trends were found for ejection times and rates. Discarding specific unrepresentative cycle lengths in order to correct for arrhythmia without attention to the previous cycle and even to the following cycle is therefore inappropriate.