Sarah Diamond, Beverly Spray, Amna Qasim, Peter M. Mourani, Amit Agarwal, Michael Angtuaco, Ankita Shukla, Richard W. Hall, Megha Sharma
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Research Institute. University of Michigan. Baylor College of Medicine.
United States
Journal of Perinatology
J Perinatol 2026;
DOI: 10.1038/s41372-026-02748-0
Abstract
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) confers significant morbidity and mortality in infants. Risk limits utilization of cardiac catheterization for diagnosis. Pulmonary-artery-acceleration-time (PAAT) and eccentricity-index (EI) are echocardiographically-measured surrogates in adults but data in infants is limited.
Objective: Evaluate the association of PAAT and EI with catheterization-derived hemodynamic measurements in infants without structural heart disease.
Methods: This retrospective review included 30 cardiac catheterization studies performed in infants. Echocardiograms performed within one month of catheterization were reviewed. Multiple linear regression and agreement analyses were conducted between catheterization and echocardiographic data for the presence and severity of PH.
Results: PAAT was significantly associated with mean pulmonary artery pressure (r-square = 0.34, p < 0.003) and pulmonary vascular resistance (r-square = 0.21, p < 0.039). EI was not associated. Agreement of severity of PH by echocardiographic and catheterization data was fair (kappa = 0.29).
Conclusions: In infants, PAAT is associated with invasive hemodynamic measurements, while EI is not associated. These measures do not improve upon other echocardiogram-derived estimates of PH.
Category
Diagnostic Testing for Pulmonary Vascular Disease. Non-invasive Testing
Diagnostic Testing for Pulmonary Vascular Disease. Invasive Testing
Age Focus: Pediatric Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Fresh or Filed Publication: Fresh (PHresh). Less than 1-2 years since publication
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