What could these findings mean from an echocardiogram?

Posted by zoelife @zoelife, Oct 20 5:04am

Echocardiogram findings:

Ejection fraction 77%,
cardiac output: 2.7 liters/min, normal should be between 4-7 liters/min
cardiac index: 2.01 lit/min, normal range: 2.5-4.5 liters/min.
stroke vol index: 25.1 ml/m, normal Range: >35 ml/m²
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: .55,
trace pulmonic & tricuspid valve regurgitation,
chiari network in right atrium

Previous EKG had negative forces in V1, V2, & V3. It also had physiological Q waves.

I’ve been having crushing subtle chest pain the last 2 days with occasional shortness of breath and occasional numbness of my left hand upon waking. Cardiologist seemed to overlook all the findings since the higher ejection fraction appeared to show adequate functioning but could it be he’s not interpreting the findings properly?

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mrsr1234 | @mrsr1234 | Oct 20 6:05am

Get a second opinion if you are still in pain and don’t “trust” him. ALWAYS trust your gut and your body. It’s trying to tell you something.

One last note: the arm numbness, any neck issues? Could be an issue… check all possible avenues.

windyshores | @windyshores | Oct 20 6:15am

@zoelife I am a fellow patient and advise you to talk with your cardiologist further about this, and if not satisfied, seek a second opinion. I looked things up (I also have some issues) and it seems cardiac output is the item to discuss with your MD. It differs from your ejection fraction. It would seem the most important thing is that you have symptoms and are suffering!

Here is what I found online:

As you probably know "a healthy heart has an ejection fraction of 50% to 70%" (google). So yours is good.

I looked up the difference between cardiac output and ejection fraction: It looks like both use "stroke volume" in the calculation. https://thisvsthat.io/cardiac-output-vs-ejection-fraction -read the whole thing, this is an excerpt:
"Cardiac Output and Ejection Fraction are both important measures of heart function, but they represent different aspects of cardiac performance. Cardiac Output refers to the amount of blood pumped by the heart in one minute, and is calculated by multiplying the heart rate by the stroke volume. Ejection Fraction, on the other hand, is a measure of the percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each heartbeat. While Cardiac Output provides an overall assessment of heart function and efficiency, Ejection Fraction specifically evaluates the heart's ability to pump blood effectively. Both measures are crucial in diagnosing and monitoring heart conditions, and can help healthcare providers determine the best course of treatment for patients."

Left ventricular hypertrophy can contribute to the heart's pumping action (I know this from my own experience with afib) but I have no idea what the ".55" means and cannot find it online. Your doctor can explain.

Mild regurgitation is not a concern I have been told. I have that in 3 valves with no symptoms.

The chiari network is "usually of no clinical significance" but details follow https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3809461/

gloaming | @gloaming | Oct 20 12:10pm

Your ejection fraction is quite good, but you might have some valvular problems. Also, the hypertrophy suggests cardiomyopathy of as-yet undetermined origin. Hypertrophy is a thickening of the muscle in volume, and not a desired eventuality. It suggests the myocardium is diseased or disordered, and in order to keep performing its function, it had to literally grow more of itself, just like someone who takes up framing on a construction site soon develops sinewy and enlarged forearms and biceps.

I agree with windyshores that mild regurgitation is nothing to be worried about....by itself...although it might be an associated or follow-on problem due to the enlargement. Even so, almost all humans have some mild form of regurgitation.

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