Estimation of mean right atrial pressure using tissue Doppler imaging.

Sixty-two patients underwent simultaneous right atrial pressure measurement and Doppler echo including tissue Doppler to evaluate the utility of this technique in the estimation of right ventricular filling pressure. Mean right atrial pressure related weakly to the ratio of tricuspid peak early inflow velocity to annular early diastolic velocity (r = 0.75, p <0.0001), with a mean difference between Doppler and catheter pressures of 0.3 +/- 3.7 mm Hg.