Simultaneous assessment of right ventricular ejection fraction and central haemodynamics at rest and during exercise in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

In 10 patients, aged 55-73, with pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was measured simultaneously with central haemodynamics twice, at rest and during exercise. In the first investigation, RVEF was measured with first pass (FP) radionuclide angiocardiography using 133Xe and 99Tcm as tracers. In the second investigation after 1 h's rest, RVEF was measured with equilibrium (EQ) radionuclide angiocardiography. Significant correlations were found between RVEF and pulmonary artery pressure (r = -0.76 to -0.88) and between RVEF and right arterial pressure (r = -0.76 to -0.84) at rest and during exercise. RVEF was low or decreased during exercise in all patients with haemodynamic signs of right ventricular failure. Good correlations were found between the FP and EQ techniques for measuring RVEF both at rest, r = 0.86, and during exercise, r = 0.91. RVEF, measured with the FP technique, showed better reproducibility and better correlation to haemodynamic variables and to history of right ventricular failure than the EQ technique. Thus, the FP technique seemed to be the method of choice for assessment of RVEF.