When it all comes down to pressure: right ventricular ejection fraction at cardiac catheterisation

摘要

In the present issue of the European Respiratory Journal, HEERDT et al. [1] report on the validation of right ventricularejection fraction (RVEF) calculated from a pressure curve at cardiac catheterisation. This is of great interest as right ventricular (RV) function is the main determinant of symptomatology and outcome in pulmonary hypertension [2], and RVEF accordingly adds significantly to risk stratification in these patients [3]. However, ejection fraction (EF) is a ratio of stroke volume (SV) to end-diastolic volume (EDV), with no pressure in the equation. So, how is it possible to calculate a volume ratio from pressure measurements?.