Aortic Stenosis in Elderly People: An Evaluation of Clinical and Echocardiographic Diagnosis

摘要

In a prospective study to assess the sensitivity and specificity of clinical diagnosis against echocardiographic diagnosis in elderly people, 41 patients were studied in two 6-month periods. Overall clinical and echo diagnosis agreed in 75of cases, but the clinical diagnosis of aortic stenosis was poor in the initial period. Adapting the lessons which were learnt in this initial period in a repeat of the study, the sensitivity of clinical diagnosis of aortic stenosis improved from 0.38 to 0.75. Additional information was gained in 50of cases by echocardlography, and enabled the clinician to modify treatment in 50of cases.Aortic stenosis in elderly people may be without clinical signs. Routine echocardiography increases the sensitivity of the clinical diagnosis, and may have major therapeutic implications for the elderly patient.