Left Atrial Volumes and Function: Evaluation With Real-Time 3D Echocardiography in an Acute Care Setting

Limited data are available about feasibility and clinical value of left atrium (LA) quantitative evaluation obtained from real time 3D (RT-3D) echocardiography in critically ills.. Aims of this study were: 1) to evaluate feasibility of RT-3D echocardiography for LA evaluation in an acute care setting and in a population including a majority of critically ills; 2) to evaluate correlation between two-dimensional (2D) and RT-3D echocardiographic LA quantitative evaluation; 3) to assess clinical consistency and prognostic value of LA measurements obtained from RT-3D images in subjects without CV diseases and in patients with AF and CHF, evaluated in the acute phase of the disease..Patients and In 382 subjects admitted in the emergency department (ED), we evaluated maximal (Volmax) and minimal (Volmin) LA volumes and LA emptying fraction (LA-EF), from RT-3D images, with a semiautomated border detection program. A follow-up was performed in order to evaluate all-cause mortality and new hospital admission for cardiovascular events.. The correlation between measures obtained from 2D and 3D was good (LA Volmax: r = 0.896, P < 0.001; Volmin: r = 0.906, P < 0,001; LA EF: r = 0.749, P < 0.001). Among 77 normal subjects, people aged ≥ 65 years demonstrated comparable LA dimensions with younger subjects (LA Volmax: 25 ± 11 vs 20 ± 7 mL/m2, Volmin: 11 ± 7 vs 8 ± 5 mL/m2). Subjects with normal left ventricular ejection fraction showed LA Volmax significantly lower than patients with LV systolic dysfunction or congestive heart failure (23 ± 11 vs 29 ± 10 vs 33 ± 12 mL/m2, P < 0.05). Patients in atrial fibrillation showed a significantly dilated LA compared with subjects in sinus rhytm (24 ± 11 vs 37 ± 22 mL/m2, P < 0.05). LA dimensions were significantly higher in non-survivors (LA Volmax: 33 ± 9 vs 25 ± 9 mL/m2), in patients with a new hospital admission for cardiovascular disease (LA Volmax: 34 ± 13 vs 23 ± 10 mL/m2) or with a new AF episode (LA Volmax: 40 ± 12 vs 24 ± 11 mL/m2, all P < 0.005).. RT-3D evaluation of LA volumes and function is feasible in a non selected series of critically ills. LA dilation was associated with a worse outcome in terms of morbidity and mortality..