Right ventricular and left ventricular ejection fraction in pediatric patients with normal hearts: first-pass radionuclide angiocardiography.

First-pass radionuclide angiocardiography was used to estimate right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular (LV) EF in infants, children, and teenagers with normal hearts. The right ventricle was analyzed in 74 patients and the left ventricle in 72 patients. Mean RVEF for the group was 0.53 +/- 0.06 (range 0.43 to 0.73); mean LVEF for the group was 0.68 +/- 0.09 (range 0.49 to 0.86). Lower values tended to be present in younger patients. However, there was no statistical difference in EFs between age groups and no linear correlation between magnitude of EF and age or EF and heart rate for either ventricle. Data obtained demonstrated that RVEF and LVEF in children with normal hearts are similar to those in adults with normal cardiovascular systems. A RVEF of 0.41 to 0.47 or a LVEF of 0.50 to 0.59 would suggest borderline systolic function; a RVEF less than 0.41 (mean -2 SD) or LVEF less than 0.50 (mean -2 SD) would be considered abnormal when this technique of first-pass radionuclide angiocardiography is used.