Journal
CARDIOVASCULAR ULTRASOUND
Volume 12, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/1476-7120-12-10
Keywords
Diastolic function; Left atrial appendage thrombus; Spontaneous echo contrast (SEC); Atrial fibrillation
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Funding
- Rush-County Collaborative research grant
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Background: Left ventricular diastolic impairment and consequently elevated filling pressure may contribute to stasis leading to left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated whether transthoracic echocardiographic parameters can predict LAAT independent of traditional clinical predictors. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 297 consecutive nonvalvular AF patients who underwent transthoracic echocardiogram followed by a transesophageal echocardiogram within one year. Multivariate logistic regression analysis models were used to determine factors independently associated with LAAT. Results: Nineteen subjects (6.4%) were demonstrated to have LAAT by transesophageal echocardiography. These patients had higher mean CHADS(2) scores [2.6 +/- 1.2 vs. 1.9 +/- 1.3, P = 0.009], higher E:e'ratios [16.6 +/- 6.1 vs. 12.0 +/- 5.4, P = 0.001], and lower mean e' velocities [6.5 +/- 2.1 cm/sec vs. 9.1 +/- 3.2 cm/sec, P = 0.001]. Both E:e' and e' velocity were associated with LAAT formation independent of the CHADS(2) score, warfarin therapy, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left atrial volume index (LAVI) [E:e' odds-ratio = 1.14 (95% confidence interval = 1.03 - 1.3), P = 0.009; e' velocity odds-ratio = 0.68 (95% confidence interval = 0.5 - 0.9), P = 0.007]. Similarly, diastolic function parameters were independently associated with spontaneous echo contrast. Conclusion: The diastolic function indices E: e' and e' velocity are independently associated with LAAT in nonvalvular AF patients and may help identify patients at risk for LAAT.
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