A debate has arisen as to whether cardiac performance should be quantitatively or qualitatively analyzed in the modern cardiac ultrasound laboratory. In order to actively participate in this debate, the cardiac sonographer should have a basic understanding of the terms that describe cardiac performance. The following paper presents a description of these key terms and links them directly to the everyday practices of the echocardiography laboratory.
1. Schiller NB, Skiolebrand C, Schiller E, et al. Canine left ventricular mass estimation by two-dimensional echocardiography. Circulation1983;68:210-216.
2.
2. Schiller NB, Acquatella H, Ports TA, et al. Left ventricular volume from paired biplane twodimensional echocardiographs. Circulation1979;60:547-555.
3.
3. Helak JW, Reichek N. quantitation of human left ventricular mass and volume by two-dimensional echocardiography: in vitro anatomic validation. Circulation1981;63:1398-1407.
4.
4. Colan SD, Borow KM, Neumann A. Left ventricular end-systolic wall stress-velocity of fiber shortening relation: a load independent index of myocardial contractility. J Am Coll Cardiol1984;4:715-724.
5.
5. Labovitz AJ, Pearson AC. Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function: clinical relevance and recent Doppler echo-cardiographic insights. Am Heart J1987;114:836-851.
6.
6. Appleton CA, Hatle LK, Popp RL. Relations of transmitral flow velocity patterns to left ventricular diastolic function: new insights from a combined hemodynamic and Doppler echocardiographic study. J Am Coll Cardiol1988;12:426-440.
7.
7. Gordon EP, Schnittger I, Fitzgerald PJ, et al. Reproducibility of left ventricular volumes by twodimensional echocardiography. J Am Coll Cardiol1983;2:506-513.
8.
8. Conetta DA, Geiser EA, Oliver LH, et al. Reproducibility of left ventricular area and volume measurements using a computer endocardial edge-detection algorithm in normal subjects. Am I Cardiol1985;56:947-952.
9.
9. Himelman RB, Cassidy MM, Landzberg JS, Schiller NB. Reproducibility of quantitative two-dimensional echocardiography. Am Heart J1988;115:425-431.
10.
10. Clark RD, Korcuska K, Cohn K. Serial echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular function in valvular disease, including reproducibility guidelines for serial studies. Circulation1980;62:564-574.
11.
11. Byrd BF, Finkbeiner W, Bouchard A, et al. Accuracy and reproducibility of clinically acquired twodimensional echocardiographic measurements. Am Heart J1989;117:113-117.
12.
12. Spirito P. Maron BJ, Vertner I, Merrill JS. Reproducibility of Doppler echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular diastolic function. Eur Heart J1988;9:879-886.
13.
13. Schiller NB, Shah PM, Crawford M, et al. Recommendations for quantitation of the left ventricle by two-dimensional echocardiography. J Am Soc Echo1989;2:358-367.
14.
14. Amico A, Lichtenberg G, Reisner S, et al. Superiority of visual versus computerized echocardiographic estimation of radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction. Heart J1989;118:1259-1265.
15.
15. Tortora G, Anagnostakos N. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, Third Edition. New York: Harper and Row, 1981; 490-490.
16.
16. Nishimura R, Housmans P. Hatle L, et al. Assessment of diastolic function of the heart: I. background and current applications of Doppler echocardiography. Mayo Clin Proc1989;64:71-81.
17.
17. Nishimura R, Abel M, Hatle L, et al. Assessment of diastolic function of the heart: II. background and current applications of Doppler echocardiography. Mayo Clin Proc1989;64:181-204.
18.
18. Sokolow M, Mc Gillroy M. Clinical Cardiology, Second Edition. Los Altos: Lange Medical, 1979;77-77.
19.
19. Braunwald E. Heart Disease, Second Edition. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1984;409-446.
20.
20. Grossman W. Cardiac Catheterization and Angiography, Second Edition. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1980;66-66.
