Cardiac function in dialysis patients evaluated by Doppler echocardiography and its relation to intradialytic hypotension: a new index combining systolic and diastolic function.

AIM, PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cardiac function of 40 patients on maintenance dialysis was examined using a new Doppler index combining systolic and diastolic function. Immediately before dialysis, ultrasonic pulsed Doppler was used to measure right and left ventricular inflow and outflow waveforms. The sum of the isovolumetric contraction time (ICT) and isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT) was calculated by subtracting the ejection time from the interval between the end of an inflow waveform and the start of the next inflow waveform. The new index was obtained by dividing the sum of the two isovolumetric times by the ejection time. Cardiac function was evaluated in dialysis patients and healthy controls using new indices of the right and left heart systems. RESULT: Indices of the right and left heart systems in dialysis patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. With respect to hypotension during dialysis, patients were divided into two groups, a group with decreased blood pressure (group A: 27 patients) and a group with normal blood pressure (group B: 13 patients). Only the left heart system index in group A was significantly higher. There were no significant differences in other M-mode Doppler indices between the two groups.
CONCLUSION: The new index was a more sensitive evaluator of cardiac function and predictor of hypotension during dialysis compared to standard echocardiographic indices.