Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac function in open chest dogs.

Echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular function were compared with standard parameters in 5 open chest dogs. Cardiac output by echo compared with thermodilution showed a close correlation of r = 0.952. Peak rate of decrease of left ventricular diameter (RDD) correlated with dp/dtmax r = 0.826, and "normalized" RDD with dp/dtmax r = 0.873. The peak rates of increase of LV diameter (RID) and "normalized" RID correlated less with dp/dtmin, r = 0.610 and r = 0.642 respectively. Because of significant differences between the dogs, and because the results from all dogs induced into different hemodynamic states during the investigation were all pooled, the method proved reliable even under borderline conditions. We therefore think it may also be used in clinical situations.