Evaluation of Cardiac Function After Perinatal Asphyxia By Doppler Tissue Imaging

The aim of this study was to assess cardiac function after perinatal asphyxia in full-term infants using Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) as thirty asphyxiated and 20 nonasphyxiated term infants were investigated at 24 and 72 hs of life. Conventional two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography, myocardial performance index, DTI and peak systolic strain and strain rate were done during the first 24 h of life and redone at 72h. Right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) Tei indexes were significantly higher in asphyxiated neonates in severe group in first and third day. Mitral and tricuspid systolic (Sm) velocities were significantly lower in asphyxiated neonates in first and third day, whereas fractional shortening (FS) and SV measurements did not show any significant predictive value. The peak systolic strain and strain rate showed high significance difference in only posterior basal left position and basal right superior position.Conclusion: The DTI technique appears to be more sensitive than conventional echocardiography in the early detection ofmyocardial dysfunction Induced by perinatal asphyxia in full-term infants. The peak systolic strain and strain rate were in this study more sensitive indices than fractional shortening for assessing the reduced myocardial function in asphyxiated term neonates.