Effect of thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) on right ventricular function and ventricular-pulmonary coupling.

Pressure–volume signals acquired during steady state yield end-diastolic and end-systolic volume (EDV, ESV), ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic and end-systolic pressure (EDP, ESP), stroke work (SW), dP/dtMAX and dP/dtMIN, and isovolumic relaxation time constant Tau. The end-systolic pressure–volume relation (ESPVR: ESP vs. ESV) and the preload recruitable stroke work relation (PRSWR: SW vs. EDV) quantify systolic ventricular function. The slope of the ESPVR determines end-systolic elastance Ees. The end-diastolic pressure-volume relation (EDPVR: EDP vs. EDV) is used to determine diastolic function, quantified by diastolic chamber stiffness and the stiffness constant.
Right ventricular afterload is determined by effective arterial elastance Ea, calculated as ESP/SV. Ventricular-arterial coupling is quantified as Ees/Ea.