Answers: 1. Tricuspid Valve 2. Right Parasternal View
While the right parasternal view is essential for accurate quantification of aortic stenosis - subtle hand movements can give an an-face view of the tricuspid valve
To obtain the right parasternal view:
1. Lie the patient in the RIGHT lateral position with right hand under the head
2. Obtain the standard PLAX view in this position
3. Follow the path of the ascending aorta across the sternum
4. Rock medially + tail up
The probe now faces down the ascending aorta through the AV
Color doppler shows direction of flow toward the probe
The associated CW doppler signal is therefore above the baseline
Once the angle is identified with 2D and color doppler, the pedoff probe is then used to accurately assess gradients.
How do they calculate: 1. Valve area 2. Mean AV gradient 3. Max AV gradient
2/14
Essential Principles: 1. The effective orifice area is always smaller than the anatomical orifice area
This effective orifice area is what is calculated
It is the key determinant of survival 2. Continuity equation
Conservation of mass
3/14
Continuity equation:
A2 X V2 = A1 x V1
(AVA) x (AV VTI) = (LVOT CSA) x (LVOT VTI)
AVA = [(LVOT CSA) x (LVOT VTI)]/ AV VTI
And for those of you who still auscultate the precordium you would have heard the elusive 'tumour plop'....of course you would.
But lets get back to the basics of M- Mode use in the PLAX view
2/6
Firstly the AV:
Here is a normal m-mode image through the AV during the cardiac cycle - note: 1. How systole and diastole are identified by ECG 2. Opening of the RCC and NCC to form the 'envelope' 3. Symmetry of the envelope 4. Closure line at end syst.
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Compare this to m mode in severe AS where there is no identifiable opening of the cusps:
1 Welcome to #researchmethodologies with @DrAoifeBee
Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves are a wonderfully informative way of presenting survival outcomes over time. But how do we interpret them? Survival analysis determines the probability of a binary outcome (aka an event or a failure)
2/15
Survival means the event being studied has not occurred yet - the patient is still alive if you’re analysing mortality, the baby has not been delivered if analysing births, the patient has not yet met whatever criteria you have decided constitutes an event in your study.
3/15
In medical research, the binary outcome of interest is commonly survival vs death though other outcomes/events can be used. KM curves are a visual way of showing the fraction of patients living over time after a treatment, or lack of treatment if in a control group.