Proven Technology to Improve Clinical Practice: EchoInsight with Strain Imaging
Recent supportive research using EchoInsight including:
Although left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) is an index of systolic function recommended by the guidelines, poor image quality may hamper strain measurements. While contrast agents are commonly used to improve endocardial visualization, no commercial speckle-tracking software is able to measure strain in contrast-enhanced images. This study aimed to test the accuracy of speckle-tracking software when applied to contrast-enhanced images in patients with suboptimal image quality.
Peak oxygen uptake (VO2) is a strong predictor of mortality in chronic heart failure. Cardiac function during pre-load augmentation is an important part of the phenomenon in the evaluation of exercise capacity. Investigation prospectively performed echocardiographic studies in 68 chronic heart failure patients with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (mean age 60 ± 12 years; 69% male). After resting evaluations, echocardiographic parameters were repeated during leg positive pressure (LPP). Exercise capacity was assessed by peak VO2 in all patients (left ventricular ejection fraction: 43 ± 15%).
Investigation whether both echocardiography and blood examination parameters obtained before discharge are more closely associated with adverse events than those obtained upon admission in hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients. Investigation retrospectively selected 267 hospitalized HF patients who underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) within 2 days of admission (n=223) and/or within 7 days of discharge (n=157). Blood test results were also collected at the same time window. Patients were assigned into HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved EF (HFpEF).