Abstract

Systolic time intervals (STI), which are measured by ana1ysis of the integral data (HR, QS2, LVET, PEP, PEP/LVET, S2Q, PTT etc) from the electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram and carotid sphygmogram, are one of the established "noninvasive" tests of cardiac function. Nowadays, ST1 are frequently used in the various medical fields because of their simplicity and reliability, STI provide a quantitative estimate of the effect of various cardiovascular disorders upon the left ventricle. Like all noninvasive techniques, STI have the singular advantage that multiple observations can be performed. This allows study of the natural history of disorders and long-term effects of therapeutic interventions. On the basis of studies in recent years, a new understanding of the use of STI in the analysis of the left ventricular performance in man has evaluated. It is the purpose of this review to summarize these more current knowledge of STI (historical background, measuring methodology and contents, pathophysiologic basis, and drug effects) and to direct interest to clinical application of STI.