ArticleEcho research and practice2018
What is the minimum change in left ventricular ejection fraction, which can be measured with contrast echocardiography?
Article in Echo research and practice, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cardioprotective mechanism of ω-3 fatty acid icosapent ethyl (IPE) in cardiomyocytes: role in high glucose and shear stress-induced mechano-transduction dysregulation.Cardiovascular diabetology · 2025Pooled it
- Identification of Risk Factors for Incident Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction and Predictors of Cardiac Recovery in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis.Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Article
- British Society of Echocardiography guideline for the transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of adult patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy receiving myosin-inhibitor therapy.Echo research and practice · 2025Review
- Global longitudinal strain at 3 months after therapy can predict late cardiotoxicity in breast cancer.Cancer medicine · 2023Article
- British Society for Echocardiography and British Cardio-Oncology Society guideline for transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of adult cancer patients receiving anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab.Echo research and practice · 2021Article
- BSE and BCOS Guideline for Transthoracic Echocardiographic Assessment of Adult Cancer Patients Receiving Anthracyclines and/or Trastuzumab.JACC. CardioOncology · 2021Review
- Article
- Cardiovascular imaging in cardio-oncology.Journal of thoracic disease · 2018Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere are limited data on what is the minimum change that can be detected in cancer patients undergoing treatment with cardiotoxic drugs and are referred for monitoring left ventricular (LV) function.
objectiveTo assess the variability in the measurement of LV volumes and ejection fraction (EF) in contrast echocardiography and to determine the minimum detectable difference (MDD) between two EF measurements that can be deemed significant.
methodsA total of 150 patients were divided into three groups according to EF (EF <53, 53-60, and >60%). Each group consisted of 50 randomly selected cancer patients who underwent contrast echocardiography between July 2010 and May 2014. Repeated measurements of LV volumes and EF were performed offline by a sonographer and a cardiologist. Inter-observer variability was assessed by analysis of variance. Measurement error was estimated by standard error of measurement and MDD.
resultsThe 95% confidence interval with a single measurement of EF was 2 percentage points in the groups of patients with EF <53% and EF >60%, and 2.5 percentage points for patients with EF 53-60%. The MDD for EF, end-diastolic volume and end-systolic volume that could be recognized with 95% confidence interval were 4 percentage points, 7 mL and 4 mL, respectively.
conclusionContrast echocardiography is a reliable tool for serial measurements of EF to monitor cardiotoxicity due to chemotherapy. In a high-volume echocardiography laboratory with experienced staff, the MDD for EF of 4 percentage points on a good-quality recording demonstrates the high reproducibility of the Simpson's method using contrast echocardiography.
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