Absolute intracardiac blood velocities Measured with Continuous wave Doppler and a new real-time spectral display

Abstract

To realize the full potential of the diagnostic information carried by intracardiac blood velocity patterns requires measurement of their absolute velocities, direction and timing. The severity of a valve stenosis may be judged by its peak jet velocity. The importance of a regurgitant jet may be assessed by its size and duration, its absolute velocity depending on the transvalvar gradient. In order to explore the diagnostic and haemodynamic information carried by the absolute blood velocities, these have been measured transcutaneously using continuous wave 2 MHz Doppler ultrasound.