VALIDITY OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTIONS MEASURED AT REST AND PEAK EXERCISE BY EQUILIBRIUM RADIONUCLIDE ANGIOGRAPHY USING SHORT ACQUISITION TIMES

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 20  (6) , 484-490
Abstract
To validate ejection fraction (EF) calculations from 5 and 2 min of multiple-gated equilibrium radionuclide angiographic data and to establish its utility during changes in cardiac performance 38 patients with chest pain suggestive of coronary artery disease were studied. Patients (24) underwent contrast ventriculography (CV) and 1st-pass (FP) and equilibrium (EQ) radionuclide angiography at rest; 14 patients had both radionuclide tests performed at rest and during peak supine bicycle exercise. The resting 5 min acquisition ejection fractions were compared between each method and the following correlations were generated: r (correlation coefficient) = .92, no. = 24 (CV-EQ); r = .92, no. = 24 (CV-FP); and r = .95, no. = 38 (FP-EQ). The variability of EQ-EF calculations between 2 independent observers was < 2%; the mean absolute difference between 2 sequential 2 min acquisitions and the 5 min recordings was -.1 .+-. 1.6% and the reproducibility of sequential 2 min ejection fractions was excellent (r = .98). EQ and FP ejection fractions at symptom-limited exercise correlated well (r = .96, no. = 14). Apparently equilibrium radionuclide angiography is a valid method to measure EF both at rest and during peak exercise even when 2 min acquisition periods are used.