Determination of tei index (index of myocardial performance) and other ecocadiography doppler parameters of left ventricular function in healthy dogs

Abstract

Congestive heart failure is related to contraction and relaxation ventricle abnormalities. Recent studies had shown that in the majority of the patients with congestive cardiac failure coexist alteration of systolic and diastolic function and in many cases the systolic function is normal and the cardiac failure is supported only by the diastolic dysfunction. A combined myocardial performance index (isovolumetric contraction time plus isovolumetric relaxation time divided by ejection time, ‘Tei-Index’) has been described which may be more effective for analysis of global cardiac dysfunction than systolic and diastolic measures alone. Supported by these previous information, the authors determined the normal value of the left ventricular Tei index in healthy dogs at Bogotá (at an altitude of 2600 mosl) in order to evaluate the systodiatolic function. A mean value of 33 with a standard deviation of 10 was obtained. No correlation exists with cardiac rate), body weight neither with ejection fraction (P> 05).