TY - JOUR T1 - Measurement of right ventricular volume in healthy term and preterm neonates JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition JO - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed SP - F89 LP - F93 DO - 10.1136/fn.87.2.F89 VL - 87 IS - 2 AU - S J Clark AU - C W Yoxall AU - N V Subhedar Y1 - 2002/09/01 UR - http://fn.bmj.com/content/87/2/F89.abstract N2 - Background: Pulmonary hypertension is associated with worse perinatal outcomes in infants with respiratory disorders. In such infants right ventricular dysfunction may result in poor pulmonary blood flow. Objective: To evaluate the practicability and repeatability of echocardiographic measurements of right ventricular volume in healthy term and preterm neonates, and to follow changes in right ventricular volume over the first 2 days of life. Methods: Serial echocardiographic examinations were performed on day 0, 1, and 2 on healthy term and preterm neonates. Two methods of estimating right ventricular volume were assessed: the ellipsoid approximation and Simpson’s stacked discs methods. Systolic and diastolic volumes on days 1 and 2 were compared with baseline values on day 0. Term and preterm volumes were compared at the same time points. Results: Thirty five infants were recruited, 18 term and 17 preterm. Right ventricular volumes were significantly lower on day 1 and day 2 than baseline in both term and preterm infants. Median (interquartile range) end systolic and diastolic volumes for term infants on days 0, 1, and 2 were 1.04 (0.88–1.44), 0.82 (0.70–1.03), 0.92 (0.72–0.97) ml/kg and 2.21 (2.10–2.75), 2.05 (1.81–2.38), 1.91 (1.81–2.13) ml/kg respectively. In preterm infants the values were 1.09 (0.91–1.16), 0.72 (0.54–0.91), 0.61 (0.54–0.76) ml/kg and 2.09 (1.71–2.25), 1.47 (1.23–1.98), 1.43 (1.22–1.78) ml/kg respectively. Conclusion: Right ventricular volume decreases over the first 2 days of life in healthy term and preterm infants. ER -