Distolic Dysfunction - Help with right heart cath results

[denisejoy]

Hi all, I finally picked up a copy of my right heart cath papers & it doesn't say Distolic Dysfunction although my pulmonologist diagnosied moderate DD from a copy of  the report and low normal oxgen levels (new sleep study indicates they go too low during sleep.)  Can anyone help me with how they determine the diagnosis via right heart cath.  From what I've read my LVEDP of 18 is slightly elevated.  Report also stated that I had mildly elevated pulmany pressures.  My cardio said "normal" heart.  Well I have severe symptoms & I believe that the pulmonary doctor had to see something in the report to indicate moderate Distolic Dysfunction.  I can certainly deal with this whole thing better if I know what's really going on.  Thanks so much.  Blesssings, Denise

[kenkeith]

Diastolic dysfunction involves the left ventricle filling phase (diastole), and filling properly depends on venticular pressure.
For some insight . During most of the cardiac cycle, ventricular pressure (filling chamber) is less than the pressure in the aorta (output valve), but during systole, the ventricular pressure rapidly increases, and the two pressures become equal to each other,  the aortic valve opens, and blood is pumped to the body... An elevated pressure difference between the aortic pressure and the left ventricular pressure may be indicative of aortic stenosis and affect the filling process..

Right heart catheterization, a catheter with a balloon at its tip is inserted into a vein, usually in the neck (under the collarbone) or an arm, and is threaded toward the heart. The tip of the catheter may be passed through the superior vena cava or inferior vena cava (the large veins that return blood to the heart from the upper and lower parts of the body) and through the right atrium and right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. The balloon at the catheter's tip is lodged in the pulmonary artery. A chest x-ray is taken or fluoroscopy may be used to make sure the tip is placed correctly.

High pulmonary pressure can indicate blood clots (embolism, etc.) During the process right cath a balloon is inflated to temporarily block the pulmonary artery, so that pressure in the capillaries of the lungs (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure) can be measured. This measurement is an indirect way to determine pressure in the left atrium. Blood samples can be taken through the catheter, so that the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood can be measured.




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