Cardiac Function Quantification For Pregnant Women By Two-dimensional Strain Echocardiography

Objective:To evaluate cardiac systolic and diastolic function of pregnant women in the first,second,third trimester and non-pregnanct women using two-dimenstional strain echocardiography(2DSE).Investigate acute effect of 2DSE on systolic and diastolic function in pregnancy.Methods:15 early pregnant women,15 mid pregnant women,15 late pregnant women and 15 non-pregnant women were voluntarily enrolled.All women are healthy and without complications. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed.Obtained apical 4-chamber view,apical 2-chamber,long axis of left ventricle view, eighteen segments of LV longitudinal peak strain,strain rate and global peak systolic strain of each view were measured. Record left ventricular short-axis views at the level of mitral annulus,papillary muscle and apex,measured radial strain and radial strain rate.LV ejection fraction of each view were calculated by Simpson's method.Values were compared,and the correlations between LVEF and 2DSE were analyzed respectively.Results:In comparison with control group,longitudianl strain and strain rate in each segment in systolic period were significantly lower in mid and late pregnancies(P< 0.05).ejection fraction in mid and late pregnancies showed lower than those of control group(P<0.05),there were good correlations between GSL and LVEF. With the increase of the gestational weeks,the radial rate peak E/A ascended(P＜0.05).All parameters had no significant changes between early pregnant women and non-pregnant women(P＞0.05).Conclusion:2DSE is a sensitive method to measure maternal cardiac function, which can objectively detect early global and regional myocardial systolic funtion abnormalities in pregnant women.It has a signigicant clinical and social meaning for the survival rates of pregnant women and fetus.