Clinical Implications of Echocardiographic Findings in Bacterial Endocarditis

42 patients with the clinical evidences of endocarditis were examined by echocardiography. In 28 of 42 cases(66.7%) vegetation was present, whereas in 14(33.3%) vegetation was not visualized. Alpha-hemolytic streptococcus was the most common infecting organism(47.6%) and rheumatic heart disease was the most common predisposing heart disease(47.6%). Patients with echocardiographically demonstrable vegetation had a higher incidence of congestive heart failure compared to the patients without vegetation(75.0% vs. 21.4% p<0.05). But major embolism was not significantly different in the two groups. Mortality was higher in the patients with vegetation than in the patients without it(39.3% vs. 0%, p<0.05). Among vegetation positive patients, mortality was highest in aortic valve patients.(58.3%) So patietns with aortic valve vegetation should be regarded as high risk group and early surgical intervention should be considered if indicated. The causes of mortality were congestive heart failure(45.5%), cerebral embolism(36.4%), myocardial infarction(9.1%) and ventricular tachycardia(9.1%) in decreasing frequency.

Exercise Echocardiography in Patients with Chronic Aortic Regurgitation

Supine exercise test was done with bicycle ergometer and echocardiography in 28 patients with chronic aortic regurgitation. Ejection fraction was measured before and immediately after exercise from echocardiography, wall stress and radius/thickness ratio was calculated from echocardiography and systolic blood pressure. 1. There was no difference in left ventricular end systolic and diastolic dimension, ejection fraction at rest, radius/thickness ratio, wall stress between NYHA functional class I, II, III. But work capacity was greater in NYHA class I than in class II, III(39712+/-10778 watt-sec, 23766+/-14280 watt-sec, 11968+/-6052 watt-sec respectively). Ejection fraction after exercise was significantly increased in class I(66.3+/-8.9% at rast vs 71.3+/-10.7% after exercise). 2. Ejection fraction was increased more than 5% in 12 patients(group I) and increased less than 5% or decreased in 16 patients(group II). There was no difference in basal E.F., Ded, Des and postexercise heart rate-blod pressure product between group I and II. But between group I and II, there was significant difference in diastolic redius/thickness ratio(2.55+/-0.30 vs 3.00+/-0.51), mean radius/thickness ratio(1.86+/-0.23 vs 2.18+/-0.30), systolic wall stress(192.3+/-38.6mmHg vs 240.2+/-57.7mmHg), mean wall stress(265.8mmHg vs 334.8+/-68.7mmHg) and work capacity(33848+/-12682 watt-sec vs 19210+/-12342 watt-sce). 3. Work capacity was more than 23800 watt-sec in 16 patients(group A), and less than 23800 watt-sec in 12 patients(group B). There was no difference in ejection fraction at rest, radius/thickness ratio, wall stress, and left ventricular dimension. But ejection fraction after exercise was significantly different between group A and B(68.6+/-14.6% vs 55.8+/-14.2%). 4. In nine patients with end systolic dimension greater than 50 mm ejection fraction was decreased or increased less than 5% in 7 patients. So mean ejection fraction was significantly decreased after exercise(56.8+/-7.5% at rest, 51.0+/-16.3% after exercise).