Echo Research and Practice最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating left ventricular function and myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy with corrected myocardial work.","authors":"Xin Zhang, Lingyun Fang, Yuji Xie, Yuman Li, He Li, Manwei Liu, Chenchen Sun, Yun Yang, Ruize Zhang, Jia Xu, Jing Wang, Li Zhang, Qing Lv, Shu Chen, Wenqian Wu, Mingxing Xie","doi":"10.1186/s44156-026-00113-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-026-00113-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Echocardiographic Myocardial work (MW) has potential value in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). This study aimed to utilize corrected MW indices to characterize left ventricular (LV) myocardial mechanical remodeling and evaluate the extent of myocardial fibrosis (MF) in patients with HOCM. METHODS: We prospectively studied 41 patients with HOCM undergoing septal myectomy (SM). 21 patients underwent intraoperative invasive pressure measurement to validate the noninvasive left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) estimation and corrected MW analysis methods. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed in all patients at baseline and 3–6 months after SM. Preoperative and postoperative parameters such as global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW), and global work efficiency (GWE) were analyzed to investigate the characteristics of LV myocardial mechanical remodeling. The degree of histological MF was evaluated to determine the correlation between corrected MW parameters and MF. RESULTS: Noninvasive LVSP estimated by adding systolic blood pressure to the peak LV outflow tract gradient was well consistent with invasively measured LVSP (r = 0.98, P < 0.001; ICC = 0.96, P < 0.001). After SM, GWI, GCW, and GWE were significantly decreased (all P < 0.001), and GWW was significantly increased in HOCM patients (P = 0.002). Postoperatively, all patients exhibited new-onset complete left bundle branch block. Corrected GWI (R²=0.22, P = 0.002) and GCW (R²=0.25, P < 0.001) were independently associated with the extent of MF. CONCLUSION: We validated a corrected method for analyzing MW in HOCM patients. HOCM patients may experience reduced metabolism and compromised contraction coordination after SM. GWI and GCW are associated with the level of MF. </p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13047827/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147610327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical risk score for cardiac death or heart failure hospitalization in moderate aortic stenosis.","authors":"Jonathan Sen, Agus Salim, Dulari Hakamuwa Lekamlage, Sudhir Wahi, Thomas H Marwick","doi":"10.1186/s44156-026-00110-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-026-00110-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The association between moderate aortic stenosis (AS) and adverse cardiovascular outcomes is heterogeneous. Outcomes are likely dependent on clinical factors but no formal means of integrating these variables has been defined. This study aims to develop and validate a risk score to predict 5-year cardiac mortality or heart failure (HF)-related hospitalization in moderate AS. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study that included patients diagnosed with moderate AS. Patients with aortic valve intervention or severe AS were excluded at baseline and censored at follow up. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model with LASSO penalty followed by a greedy selection algorithm was used to derive a risk score, which was then externally validated for predicting the 5-year composite risk of cardiac mortality or HF-related hospitalization. RESULTS: The derivation cohort included 2,212 patients with moderate AS (mean age 73.4±11.0 years, 65.7% male) with median follow-up of 4.3 years (interquartile range: 1.7-5). The top 10 variables included in the risk score included 6 echocardiographic variables (left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter, LV outflow tract velocity-time integral, E-wave, end-diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness and moderate/severe mitral regurgitation, moderate/severe tricuspid regurgitation) and 4 clinical variables (age, diastolic blood pressure, acute coronary syndrome, hyperlipidemia). The C-statistics for the score were 0.70 (95% CI: 0.67–0.76) in the internal validation dataset and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.70–0.79) in the external validation dataset (n = 1,141), demonstrating good predictive performance. CONCLUSIONS: This moderate AS risk score, based on demographic and clinical features, as well as conventional echocardiographic parameters, predicts outcomes in patients with moderate AS. This quantification of risk may help with shared decision-making about possible interventions, planning the frequency of follow-up, and selecting candidates for potential randomized trials in this heterogeneous population. </p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12990625/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147463842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transient cavity dilatation during supine exercise bicycle stress testing: mechanistic insights.","authors":"B L Elliott, J C Flynn, A Macnab, M Stout, K Pearce, L E Dobson","doi":"10.1186/s44156-026-00105-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-026-00105-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cavity dilatation is occasionally observed during supine bicycle exercise stress echocardiography (SBSE). The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study aimed to characterise patients with left ventricle (LV) cavity dilatation and a decrease in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during SBSE.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 653 patients who underwent SBSE were evaluated. Those with exercise-induced cavity dilatation (defined as increased cavity size and a decrease in LVEF) were evaluated (n = 29). A control group (n = 37) of patients with a hypertensive response and a normal ESE was also evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 33/653 (5.1%) patients had an abnormal LV cavity response to exercise, with 15/29 (51.7%) having significant underlying coronary artery disease (CAD). Comparisons were made between patients with CAD (n = 15) and those with nonobstructive coronary arteries (NCAs, n = 14). NCA patients had significantly higher peak diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (NCA-CD 109 ± 17 mmHg vs. CAD-CD 96 ± 16 mmHg, p = 0.044) and rate-pressure product (RPP) (NCA-CD 28,623 ± 4474 vs. CAD-CD 23,649 ± 4763, p = 0.007). There was a trend toward increased dyspnoea at peak exercise in NCA (NCA-CD 35.7% vs. CAD-CD 6.7%, p = 0.080), and CAD patients showed a higher observed frequency of severe chest pain (CAD 53.3% vs. NCA 14.3%, p = 0.050). When patients with NCA and cavity dilatation were compared with a control group of patients with a hypertensive response to exercise but no cavity dilatation, no significant differences were observed.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Cavity dilatation is observed in 5% patients undergoing SBSE and is attributable to significant CAD in approximately half of patients. NCA cavity dilatation is associated with increased RPP and DBP at peak exercise, with a trend toward increased dyspnoea. Severe chest pain at peak exercise was observed more frequently in CAD patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12952092/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147327719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The diagnostic value of left atrial stiffness for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.","authors":"Jinzhi Lai, Xiaohan Qin, Dingding Zhang, Jiaqi Wang, Jiaqi Yu, Keyue Sun, Deyan Yang, Jingbo Fan, Lihua Zhang, Zhongwei Cheng, Kangan Cheng, Peng Gao, Hua Deng, Ligang Fang, Taibo Chen, Quan Fang, Yongtai Liu","doi":"10.1186/s44156-026-00107-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-026-00107-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>AIMS: Left atrial (LA) function is impaired in both atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Diagnosing HFpEF remains challenging, especially in AF patients. This study aims to evaluate whether LA stiffness (LAS) can facilitate the diagnosis of HFpEF in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pxAF). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 187 pxAF patients were enrolled in the discovery cohort and underwent baseline transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). LAS was measured in all patients, and HFpEF was ascertained based on the H2FPEF score (44 high-probability of HFpEF [hp-HFpEF], 143 low-probability of HFpEF [lp-HFpEF]). The left ventricular diastolic function and LA function were significantly altered in the hp-HFpEF group compared to the lp-HFpEF group. Among all echocardiographic indices, the ratio of E/MVE’ to 3D LAEF as a surrogate of LAS showed the greatest diagnostic performance in distinguishing hp-HFpEF from lp-HFpEF in pxAF patients (AUC = 0.862, 95% CI 0.801–0.922, p < 0.001), with an optimal cutoff value of 0.27. Combining MVE’ and LAS revealed the highest diagnostic efficiency (LR + 12.18) compared to any single variable. The discriminatory value of LAS with MVE’ was further verified in the validation cohort with an LR + of 7.18. CONCLUSION: LAS analyzed by conventional echocardiography combined with MVE’ is a non-invasive, decision-support approach for discriminating hp-HFpEF from lp-HFpEF in pxAF patients. The clinical trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05266144. </p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12927242/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147272445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Left ventricular and atrial strain and the risk of mortality and rehospitalization in heart failure.","authors":"Haris Zilic, Hannes Holm, Linda S Johnson, Amra Jujic, Martin Magnusson","doi":"10.1186/s44156-026-00106-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-026-00106-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and left atrial strain metrics, including reservoir (LAr), contraction (LAct), and conduit strain (LAcd), have emerged as key indicators of left ventricular (LV) function and filling pressures. However, the prognostic value of these markers for risk stratification in acute heart failure (HF) remains uncertain, particularly in identifying patients at elevated risk of rehospitalization and mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the prospective HARVEST cohort study, LA strain and GLS measurements were obtained retrospectively in 141 patients (mean age 71 ± 13, 25% women). Strain values are reported as absolute values reflecting the magnitude of deformation regardless of sign. Multivariable adjusted Cox regression was used to test whether GLS, LAr, LAct, and LAcd were associated with all-cause mortality and HF rehospitalization. Hazard ratios were calculated per 1% decrease in strain values. During a median follow-up time of 39 (IQR 14-66) months (490 patient-years) for mortality analyses and 22 (IQR 4-51) months (354 patient-years) for HF rehospitalization 62 (44%) patients died, and 62 (44%) were rehospitalized. Higher GLS, LAr, and LAcd were associated with a lower risk of mortality (HR:0.94, 95%CI:0.89-0.99, p = 0.045; HR:0.93, 95%CI:0.89-0.98, p = 0.009; and HR:0.94, 95%CI:0.88-0.99, p = 0.039, respectively), and higher LAr and LAct were associated with reduced risk of HF rehospitalization (HR:0.93, 95%CI:0.88-0.98, p = 0.004; and HR:0.85, 95%CI:0.77-0.94, p = 0.002, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In patients with acute HF, strain parameters predict prognosis, with poorer outcomes. Notably, decreasing LAr was associated with increased risk of both death and rehospitalization for HF, whereas decreasing GLS was only associated with higher mortality risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12908388/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146203342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supine bicycle exercise blood pressure, heart rate and rate pressure product in patients with normal stress echocardiograms in an unselected chest pain population.","authors":"J C Flynn, B L Elliott, A Macnab, K Pearce, M Stout, L E Dobson","doi":"10.1186/s44156-026-00103-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-026-00103-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Reference ranges for exercise capacity during supine bicycle stress echocardiography (SBSE) are not well described. The aim of this study was to define supine bicycle exercise parameters in patients with normal stress echocardiograms in an unselected chest pain population. METHODS: 260 normal SBSE tests were analysed, recording baseline and peak measurements of heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, workload in Watts, peak rate pressure product (RPP) and total exercise time during a standardised 25 W ramp protocol. RESULTS: There were sex-related differences in physiological response to exercise; peak HR was lower in men than women (men 141+/- 11 bpm vs. women 145+/-11 bpm, p < 0.01) and peak blood pressure higher in men than women (men 185+/-29mmHg vs. women 169+/-30mmHg, p < 0.05). Men exercised for 20.5% longer than women with a 6.8% greater peak rate pressure product (both p < 0.05). Age was also associated with differences in peak heart rate (< 40 156 +/- 9 bpm vs. > 70 129+/-6 bpm, p < 0.05), peak systolic blood pressure (153+/-27mmHg vs. > 70 188+/-24mmHg, p < 0.05) and reduced exercise time across both sexes (< 40 609+/-158 s vs. > 70 475+/- 126 s, p < 0.05). Although exercise time reduced with age, higher peak systolic blood pressure measurements meant peak rate pressure product was not different according to age (< 40 23881 +/- 4310 vs. > 70 24343 +/- 3058, p = 0.988). CONCLUSION: This study established reference values for systolic blood pressure, rate pressure product, workload in Watts and total exercise time during stress echocardiography using a 25 W bicycle ergometer protocol. Despite exercise time reducing with age, peak rate pressure product remains static, suggesting peak rate pressure product may be a better standardised measure of effort than exercise time alone. </p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12884614/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146144188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accuracy of 3-dimensional echocardiography in measuring right ventricular volumes and ejection fraction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Mostafa Rafea, Ramy Kishk, Ramy Salmoun","doi":"10.1186/s44156-026-00102-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-026-00102-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The complex architecture of the right ventricle presents a significant challenge in determining its functional status. Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) is growing in prevalence as a faster and more convenient tool to evaluate Right Ventricular (RV) function. However, its accuracy and concordance with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is yet to be determined. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the agreement of 3DE to CMR for RV functional assessment. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library through to December 2024. Studies were included if they directly compared 3DE and CMR measurements of RV function and volumes. Data synthesis was carried out with RevMan Web using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Seventy-five studies were included in the analysis. 3DE systematically underestimated RV volumes compared to CMR, with significant differences for end-diastolic volume (SMD = −0.43, 95% CI: −0.55, −0.30) and end-systolic volume (SMD: −0.27, 95% CI: −0.39, −0.16). However, for RV ejection fraction, 3DE showed minimal underestimation (MD: −0.92%, 95% CI: −2.20, 0.36) with no statistically significant difference (p: 0.16). CONCLUSION: These findings support the potential clinical utility of 3DE for RV ejection fraction assessment while highlighting the continued importance of CMR for precise volume measurements. </p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12853996/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146094666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tiger stripe: an innocuous Doppler artifact.","authors":"Biswaranjan Mishra","doi":"10.1186/s44156-026-00104-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-026-00104-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tiger stripes, parallel bands within regurgitant Doppler spectra, are often ascribed to oscillating intracardiac structures. Their frequency and clinical relevance are unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively reviewed 4,567 transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) in adults between 18 and 65 years of age for tiger stripes on pulsed-wave (PW)/continuous-wave (CW) Doppler and correlated with valve pathology, presence of oscillating masses, and clinical findings.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Tiger stripes occurred in 5.4% of studies (95% CI 4.8-6.1%), predominantly with mitral and aortic regurgitation jets (MR/AR) and high-velocity tricuspid regurgitation (TR) jets. Stripes were not seen when oscillating masses were present, and were more conspicuous in mild-moderate jets and higher-velocity Doppler spectra. Audible Doppler cooing sound was common; no association with clinical musical murmurs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Tiger stripes may represent a benign spectral Doppler artifact. In isolation, they should not prompt additional imaging for oscillating masses or be used to grade regurgitation severity.</p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12822305/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146012706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of chronic aortic regurgitation using end-diastolic flow reversal in the upper descending aorta: diagnostic accuracy and prediction of aortic valve surgery in a prospective echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study.","authors":"Knoll Katharina, Stefanie Rosner, Stefan Gross, Hasema Persch, Daniel Braun, Martin Orban, Wibke Reinhard, Martin Hadamitzky, Carolin Sonne","doi":"10.1186/s44156-025-00101-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-025-00101-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study aimed to assess the utility of end-diastolic flow reversal in the upper descending aorta (EFR) for echocardiographic grading of aortic regurgitation (AR) severity, using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) as the reference. Additionally, we evaluated the role of EFR in predicting the need for aortic valve (AV) surgery during mid-term follow-up.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixty-six patients (mean age 53 ± 15.0 years, 73% men) underwent echocardiographic assessment, including (semi-)quantitative parameters such as proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA), effective regurgitation orifice area (EROA), AR volume (AR-Vol), vena contracta (VC) and EFR, compared against CMR-derived regurgitant fraction (RF). Multivariable regression analysis was applied evaluating predictors for severe AR and AV surgery.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>According to CMRI, 13 patients had no, 16 mild, 18 moderate and 19 severe AR. All echocardiographic parameters demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy (AUC: EFR 0.84, VC 0.82, PISA 0.84, EROA 0.83, AR-Vol 0.86; all p < 0.001). Logistic regression identified EFR (p = 0.022) and VC (p = 0. 015) as significant predictors of severe AR. During 62 months follow-up, 16 of 53 patients (24%) underwent AV surgery. All echocardiographic parameters, except PHT, were significantly different between patients receiving AV surgery compared to patients without surgery (PISA, EROA, AR-Vol and VC p < 0.001, EFR p = 0.043). However, VC remained the only parameter significantly associated with time to AV surgery (Cox-regression analysis, p = 0.024).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>EFR is a robust and reliable parameter for AR assessment, particularly in distinguishing moderate from severe AR, and should be incorporated into comprehensive echocardiographic assessment. However, VC demonstrated stronger prognostic relevance for predicting surgical intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"13 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12766934/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145901325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a screening checklist to identify individuals with suspected allergy to polyethylene glycol.","authors":"Jordan B Strom, Nicholas Spetko, Yang Song, Constance E M Angell-James, Madeline A Cassidy, Jessica L Stout, Morgan L Winburn, Rebecca Lee, Cosby A Stone","doi":"10.1186/s44156-025-00100-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s44156-025-00100-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Polyethelene glycol (PEG) is a key component of several ultrasound enhancing agents (UEA) but has been recognized as contributing to anaphylactoid reactions, resulting in new contraindications to use in those with known or suspected PEG allergy. Despite these recommendations, no clinical tools currently exist to screen for those with suspected PEG-allergy in echocardiography laboratories.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed a screening survey to identify patients with potential PEG allergy and prospectively implemented it in a pilot study involving 8 patients with confirmed PEG allergy by skin prick testing and 50 prospectively enrolled patients undergoing clinically-indicated echocardiography without known PEG allergy, June - July 2025.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All patients completed the survey. A positive response to at least 2 of the first 4 questions on the screening survey had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 67.6-100%), specificity of 100% (95% CI 92.9-100%), positive predictive value of 100% (95% CI 67.6-100%), and a negative predictive value of 100% (95% CI 92.9-100%) to identify individuals with known PEG allergy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this pilot multicenter study, a brief screening survey identified all patients with proven allergy to PEG, suggesting possible utility to its use to identify those with potential PEG allergy who would benefit from a non-PEGylated UEA, though further clinical validation is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":45749,"journal":{"name":"Echo Research and Practice","volume":"12 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12746626/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}