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Use in Congestive Heart Failure Due to Aortic Stenosis

Anthony J. Bonner, Jr., MD; Morton E. Tavel, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1973;132(6):816-819.

Abstract
The diagnosis of tight aortic stenosis is always an important consideration in patients with congestive heart failure of unknown origin. Inasmuch as the typical systolic murmur of aortic stenosis may be soft and difficult to hear under such circumstances, this diagnosis may be missed or, at best, difficult to confirm. We examined phonocardiograms with carotid pulse recordings and measured systolic time intervals in patients with aortic stenosis and congestive heart failure to determine if systolic time intervals were of any help. Left ventricular ejection time (LVET) was prolonged in seven of nine patients. The pre-ejection period (PEP)/LVET ratio in all nine cases was found to be much lower than values reported for congestive heart failure from other causes. It is believed that the PEP/LVET ratio is very helpful in distinguishing congestive heart failure due to aortic stenosis from congestive heart failure caused by other diseases and may be very helpful

Author Affiliations
Indianapolis

From the Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine and the Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Marion County General Hospital, Indianapolis.

Footnotes
Received for publication July 31, 1972; accepted Nov 27, 1972.

Reprint requests to Department of Medicine, Indiana University Medical Center, 1100 W Michigan St, Indianapolis 46202 (Dr. Tavel).

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