ABSTRACT
Background: In patients who undergoing PCI, association between right ventricular function and outcome of the procedure remained unclear
The present study aimed to determine association between echocardiography findings of systolic right ventricular function and functional status of patients following PCI
Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted at Imam Ali hospital and heart center in Kermanshah, Iran in 2013, 40 patients with history of inferior wall myocardial infarction [Inf MI] according to previous electrocardiography [ECG] in past hospitalization for MI who were candidate for percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] on right coronary artery [RCA] and had left ventricle ejection fraction [LVEF] less than 40% were included
The subjects underwent echocardiography on admission to assess echocardiography indices of systolic right ventricular function including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion [TAPSE], tricuspid annular systolic velocity [TASV], Tei-index [Myocardial performance index), and RV fractional area [RVFA] change that was repeated one month later. Baseline functional status was assessed based on the New York Heart Association functional classification score [NYHA score] that divided to 4 grades
Results: NYHA score improved following PCI procedure [from 2.20+/-0.46 to 1.10+/-0.30, P<0.001]. The mean score of TAPSE significantly increased from 18.68+/-2.12 to 20.40+/-2.11 [P<0.001]
The mean of TASV also increased from 13.28 +/- 1.52 to 14.85+/-1.90 [P<0.001]
Also, Tei-index was improved from 0.52+/-0.05 to 0.47+/-0.03 [P<0.001]
Moreover, RVFA was significantly increased after PCI [from 35.02+/-2.40 to 38.25+/-2.57, P<0.001]
There was no significant relationship between the changes in NYHA score and each of right ventricular systolic function indices
Conclusion: Although right ventricular systolic function considerably improved following PCI procedure, but the changes in this improvement is not associated with the improvement of function class after the procedure