Abstract
Technical difficulties in recording phonocardiogram or indirect carotid pulse occasionally preclude determination of the systolic time intervals. Accordingly, an alternative method was tested in 52 patients, using high-speed strip chart recording of the aortic valve echocardiogram. Satisfactory records were obtained in 36. These findings indicate that the echocardiogram of the aortic valve provides an alternative, noninvasive method for determination of the systolic time intervals whenever the usual methods fail.