Case Studies In Small Animal

Cardiovascular Medicine

Case 11

Continuous Wave Doppler

This is a continuous wave Doppler velocity tracing of the systolic jet in the left atrium. It shows that the pressure gradient across the mitral valve is 115 mm Hg. This dog's systolic systemic arterial blood pressure was subsequently measured and found to be approximately 170 mm Hg. This should correspond to this dog's peak left ventricular systolic pressure.

A continuous wave Doppler beam has been placed in the blood flow jet that is flowing from the left atrium to the right atrium. It shows a pressure gradient across the interatrial septum of 47 mm Hg. Since this dog is in right heart failure (i.e., has ascites), its right atrial pressure must be between 10 and 15 mm Hg.

In this image we are measuring the velocity of the jet of blood that originates at the tricuspid valve and extends back into the right atrium in systole. The peak pressure gradient has been calculated to be about 52 mm Hg.

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©Mark D. Kittleson, D.V.M., Ph.D. All rights reserved.