CLINICAL SCIENCES DIAGNOSTIC NUCLEAR MEDICINE Radionuclide Left Ventricular dV/dt for the Assessment of Cardiac Function in Patients with Coronary Disease

To investigate potential uses of left-ventricular (L\) systolic ejection rate (LV dVldt) in the evaluation of LV function, we examined the effect of exercise, angiotensin, and leg raising on LV ejection fraction and LV dV/dt in patients with coronary-artery disease. The following observations were made: a) LV ejection fraction and dV/dt changed proportionately, but in opposite directions, during supine exercise; b) LV ejection fraction and dV/dt decreased to a similar extent during angiotensin infusions; and c) LV ejection fraction and dV/dt were unchanged by ¡egraising. The changes in peak and mean LV dV/dt were similar. Regardless of the physiologic state, peak LV dV/dt occurred during thefirst third of systole. These data imply that in this population there were no specific advantages of LV dV/dt over LV ejection fraction in the evaluation of LV performance. J NucÃ-Med 20: 1-6, 1979 The desirability of measuring left-ventricular (LV) function under a variety of clinical and exper imental conditions has led to a search for more easily measured parameters of myocardial perform ance. Sonnenblick and Strobeck (/) have critically reviewed the clinical use of these parameters. They concluded that currently there is no single index to reflect LV function under all circumstances. Never theless, they conceded that the ejection fraction (LVEF) and velocity of circumferential fiber-short ening of the LV (Vcf) are equally useful as param eters of myocardial function. Radionuclide techniques have gained acceptance in the assessment of LVEF and wall motion (2-7). Recently, Marshall et al. (8) have advocated use of the radiotracer LV systolic ejection rate (LV dV