This observational study will provide data (variations in ventricular size and function) that are essential to designing and conducting clinical trials. In addition, the study will evaluate intra- and inter-study variability seen in echocardiography.
BACKGROUND: Cardiomyopathy is an important cause of chronic disability and death in pediatric patients and currently accounts for approximately 50% of cardiac transplants performed during childhood. Left ventricular (LV) size and function are important independent predictors of outcome, and echocardiography is the primary way to assess ventricular function in children. Although there is extensive experience with this technology, data are limited on how ventricular function changes over time in children, which is a major impediment to conducting controlled trials of therapy in children. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Boards/Research Ethics Boards of all participating clinical centers: Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, NC Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC Primary Children's Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT Washington University, St. Louis, MO DESIGN NARRATIVE: This observational study will prospectively evaluate pediatric patients with dilated cardiomyopathy who are undergoing clinically indicated echocardiographic evaluation of LV function. Patients who undergo at least two echocardiograms 3 to 18 months apart will have their studies performed by the same ultrasonographer. All studies will be sent to the core laboratory for evaluation of variability in LV mass, volume, and ejection fraction.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
131
Children's Hospital Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Washington University
St Louis, Missouri, United States
Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons
New York, New York, United States
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Inter-study variability of echo measurements; variance at a single point in time and variance of change in measurements over time
Time frame: Measured for up to 18 months
Relative magnitude of the various sources of variability in echocardiographic outcomes in order to optimize operational procedures that can minimize variance
Time frame: Measured for up to 18 months
Interstudy variability of echocardiographically-derived indices of LV systolic and diastolic function derived from m-mode, spectral Doppler, and tissue Doppler techniques used in pediatric patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Time frame: Measured for up to 18 months
Relationship of clinical status, including treatment, to the interstudy variability and repeatability of echocardiographic measurements.
Time frame: Measured for up to 18 months
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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Primary Children's Hospital
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario, Canada