An Alternative Echocardiographic Method to Estimate Mean Pulmonary Artery Pressure: Diagnostic and Clinical Implications

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluated an alternative echocardiographic method to calculate mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP). Methods: One hundred two patients were studied with simultaneous right-heart catheterization (RHC) and echocardiography. MPAP was calculated by adding the right ventricular-right atrial mean systolic gradient to right atrial pressure. Results: The mean difference between MPAP calculated using this method and RHC-derived MPAP was-1.6 mm Hg, less than that of traditional systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP;-6.4 mm Hg) and MPAP estimated using the pulmonary regurgitation method (-13.9 mm Hg). The median absolute percentage difference of the MPAP calculations relative to RHC was significantly less with this method than with the pulmonary regurgitation method (18% vs 71%; P < .001) and similar to the SPAP method (both 18%; P = .30). Conclusion: MPAP calculated using the proposed method is as accurate as SPAP calculation and less variable than previous methods, thus allowing widespread clinical use. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2009; 22: 814-819.)