All issues > Volume 35(10); 1992

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1992;35(10):1343-1354. Published online October 15, 1992.

Blood Flow Velocity in the Ascending Aorta and Main Pulmonary Artery of Children by Doppler Echocardiography

Young Mi YM Hong¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ewha Woman University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to establish normal values for Doppler aortic and pulmonary artery flow velocity measurements, adjusted for age and the other parameters, which might be used for evaluating patients with suspected abnormalities of left and right sided hemodynamics. Blood flow velocity measurements were made in the ascending aorta and proximal main pulmonary artery of 117 pediatric normal subjects (Age ranged from newborn to 15 years). Doppler sample volume was placed parallel to the flow stream in ascending aorta and main pulmonary artery. There were significant difference between ascending aorta and main pulmonary artery in the following blood flow parameters: Peak flow velocity (Aorta 110.4¡¾24.8 cm/sec, PA 82.7¡¾18.2 cm/sec) Acceleration time (Aorta 80¡¾18 msec, PA 98¡¾26 msec) Ejection time (Aorta 229¡¾32 msec, PA 261¡¾40 msec) Deceleration time (Aorta 149¡¾28 msec, PA 163¡¾29 msec) There was linear correlation between age and acceleration time or ejection time in the ascending aorta, and pulmonary artery. There was inverse linear correlation between age and average deceleration in the ascending aorta. There was also inverse linear correlation between age and average acceleration in the pulmonary artery. Normal several parameters were estimated to seperate patients with normal PA pressure from those with elevated PA pressure: PEP/AT (0.638), PEP/ET (0.230), AT/ET (0.373), AT/ETc (0.52)

Keywords :Blood flow velocity, Doppler echocardiography