Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5926206 | Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology | 2013 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
Our purpose was to report the prevalence of healthy, young, asymptomatic humans who demonstrate left heart contrast at rest, breathing room air. We evaluated 176 subjects (18-41 years old) using transthoracic saline contrast echocardiography. Left heart contrast appearing â¤3 cardiac cycles, consistent with a patent foramen ovale (PFO), was detected in 67 (38%) subjects. Left heart contrast appearing >3 cardiac cycles, consistent with the transpulmonary passage of contrast, was detected in 49 (28%) subjects. Of these 49 subjects, 31 were re-evaluated after breathing 100% O2 for 10-15 min and 6 (19%) continued to demonstrate the transpulmonary passage of contrast. Additionally, 18 of these 49 subjects were re-evaluated in the upright position and 1 (5%) continued to demonstrate the transpulmonary passage of contrast. These data suggest that â¼30% of healthy, young, asymptomatic subjects demonstrate the transpulmonary passage of contrast at rest which is reduced by breathing 100% O2 and assuming an upright body position.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Physiology
Authors
Jonathan E. Elliott, S. Milind Nigam, Steven S. Laurie, Kara M. Beasley, Randall D. Goodman, Jerold A. Hawn, Igor M. Gladstone, Mark S. Chesnutt, Andrew T. Lovering,