Preliminary report: Evaluation of three-dimensional echocardiographic volumetry by simultaneous thermal dilution in coronary heart disease

In 12 patients with coronary heart disease, the end-systolic and end-diastolic left-ventricular volumes were measured employing three-dimensional echocardiography. Cardiac output (COe) and stroke volume (SVe) were calculated and correlation with simultaneous thermal dilution measurements (COth, SVth) was performed. In 9 subjects the variability between the mean heart rate and the heart rate at any given time was found to be <10% (observer 1: SVe vs. SVth r = 0.78, p < 0.01, COe vs. COth r = 0.86, p < 0.01 and in 9 cases with steady heart rate SVe vs. SVth r = 0.95, p < 0.01; observer 2: SVe vs. SVth r = 0.78, p < 0.01, COe vs. COth r = 0.77, p < 0.01 and in 9 cases with steady heart rate SVe vs. SVth r = 0.93, p < 0.01). Using the new bedside approach three-dimensional imaging and volumetry becomes possible by means of one examination.