OBJECTIVE: To study the role of echocardiography in the stepwise evaluation of @entity1163 . DESIGN: A prospective observational study with an 18 month follow up. SETTING: University teaching hospital providing primary and tertiary care. SUBJECTS: 650 consecutive @entity1 with @entity1163 and clinical suspicion of an @entity75 , or with @entity1163 not explained by history, physical examination, or a 12 lead ECG, who underwent bidimensional Doppler transthoracic echocardiography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The causes of @entity1163 were assigned using published diagnostic criteria. Echocardiography was considered diagnostic when confirming a suspected diagnosis, or when revealing occult @entity299 explaining the @entity1163 . RESULTS: A systolic murmur was identified in 61 of the 650 @entity1 (9%). @entity472 was suspected in 20 of these and was confirmed by echocardiography in eight. Follow up excluded further cases of @entity472 . In @entity1 with unexplained @entity1163 (n = 155), routine echocardiography showed no abnormalities that established the cause of the @entity1163 . Echocardiography was normal or non-relevant in all @entity1 with a negative cardiac history and a normal ECG (n = 67). In @entity1 with a positive cardiac history or an abnormal ECG (n = 88), echocardiography showed @entity299 (left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 40%) in 24 (27%) and minor non-relevant findings in the remaining 64. @entity943 were diagnosed in 12 of the 24 @entity1 with @entity299 (50%), and in 12 of the 64 remaining @entity1 (19%) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiography was most useful for assessing the severity of the underlying @entity299 and for risk stratification in @entity1 with unexplained @entity1163 but with a positive cardiac history or an abnormal ECG.

Role of echocardiography in the evaluation of XXXX : a prospective study.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity75 :: ('MESH:D001927', 'Disease') :: ['obstructive valvar lesion'] @entity1163 :: ('MESH:D013575', 'Disease') :: ['syncope'] @entity299 :: ('MESH:D006331', 'Disease') :: ['cardiac disease', 'systolic dysfunction'] @entity472 :: ('MESH:D001024', 'Disease') :: ['Severe aortic stenosis', 'aortic stenosis'] @entity943 :: ('MESH:D001145', 'Disease') :: ['Arrhythmias']
@entity1163 :: (MESH:D013575,Disease) :: ['syncope']
