Echocardiographic systolic time intervals. Left ventricular performance in coronary artery disease.

The ratio of the preejection period to the left ventricular ejection time (PEP/LVET), obtained from the aortic root echocardiogram, was studied immediately before and after left ventricular (LV) cineangiography in 23 patients with documented coronary artery disease. The initial PEP/LVET ratio was inversely related to LV ejection fraction (r = -.78, P less than or equal to .001). Repeat measurements taken 60 s after angiography showed a significant decrease from a mean value of .36 +/- .13 to .27 +/- .08 (P less than or equal to .005). Furthermore, when patients were divided into those with an initial PEP/LVET value above and below 0.40, those with a higher value showed a significantly greater decrease following contrast left ventriculography (mean decrease, 0.16 vs 0.06, P less than or equal to .01). This study indicates that systolic time intervals derived from echocardiography are a reliable noninvasive measure of LV function, and that ventricular function improves following left ventriculography, with the degree of improvement being inversely related to initial function.