Reliability and accuracy of measurement of transductal gradient by Doppler ultrasound

Abstract Simultaneous continuous wave Doppler echocardiography, aortic and pulmonary artery pressure measurements were performed during cardiac catheterization in 46 patients with patent ductus arteriosus. Doppler-derived systolic, mean and diastolic transuctal gradients correlated well with those measured by catheterization, respectively ( r = 0.972, SEE=6.8 mmHg; r = 0.965, SEE=5.4 mmHg; r = 0.939, SEE=6.2 mmHg), and there were clinically acceptable agreements between the two technical measurements. It is concluded that Doppler echocardiography is a reliable and accurate technique for non-invasive estimation of transductal gradients.