Prevalence of Disproportionate RV Filling Pressures to LV Filling Pressures

Abstract

Heart failure patients with discordantly higher right ventricular compared to left ventricular filling pressures have worse outcomes (death, hospitalisation and renal failure). This is challenging to diagnose clinically due to relative changes in atrial pressure and ventriculo-arterial (VA) coupling. We propose two invasive haemodynamic indexes (relative atrial pressure index, RAPi, defined by the right atrial to pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ratio; and relative arterial coupling index, RACi, defined as the pulmonary artery to aortic pulsatility index ratio), which may help identify these patients.