Serial Sonographic Assessment of Pulmonary Edema in Patients With Hypertensive Acute Heart Failure

Lung Ultrasound and Pleural Artifacts: A Pictorial Review

Lung ultrasound is a well-established diagnostic approach used in detecting pathological changes near the pleura of the lung. At the acoustic boundary of the lung surface, it is necessary to differentiate between the primary visualization of pleural parenchymal pathologies and the appearance of secondary artifacts when sound waves enter the lung or are reflected at the visceral pleura. The aims of this pictorial essay are to demonstrate the sonographic patterns of various pleural interface artifacts and to illustrate the limitations and pitfalls of the use of ultrasound findings in diagnosing any underlying pathology.

Impact of serial cardiopulmonary point-of-care ultrasound exams in patients with acute dyspnoea: a randomised, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Serial point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) can potentially improve acute patient care through treatment adjusted to the dynamic ultrasound findings. The objective was to investigate if treatment guided by monitoring patients with acute dyspnoea with serial cardiopulmonary PoCUS and usual care could reduce the severity of dyspnoea compared with usual care alone.

METHODS

This was a randomised, controlled, blinded-outcome trial conducted in three EDs in Denmark between 9 October 2019 and 26 May 2021. Patients aged ≥18 years admitted with a primary complaint of dyspnoea were allocated 1:1 with block randomisation to usual care, which included a single cardiopulmonary PoCUS within 1 hour of arrival (control group) or usual care (including a PoCUS within 1 hour of arrival) plus two additional PoCUS performed at 2 hours interval from the initial PoCUS (serial ultrasound group). The primary outcome was a reduction of dyspnoea measured on a verbal dyspnoea scale (VDS) from 0 to 10 recorded at inclusion and after 2, 4 and 5 hours.

RESULTS

There were 206 patients recruited, 102 in the serial ultrasound group and 104 in the control group, all of whom had complete follow-up. The mean difference in VDS between patients in the serial ultrasound and the control group was -1.09 (95% CI -1.51 to -0.66) and -1.66 (95% CI -2.09 to -1.23) after 4 and 5 hours, respectively. The effect was more pronounced in patients with a presumptive diagnosis of acute heart failure (AHF). A larger proportion of patients received diuretics in the serial ultrasound group.

CONCLUSION

Therapy guided by serial cardiopulmonary PoCUS may, together with usual care, facilitate greater improvement in the severity of dyspnoea, especially in patients with AHF compared with usual care with a single PoCUS in the ED. Serial PoCUS should therefore be considered for routine use to aid the physician in stabilising the patient faster.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04091334.

Extracorporeal veno-venous ultrafiltration in congestive heart failure: What’s the state of the art? A mini-review

Hospitalizations for heart failure exceed 1 million per year in both the United States and Europe and more than 90% are due to symptoms and signs of fluid overload. Rates of rehospitalizations or emergency department visit at 60 days are remarkable regardless of whether loop diuretics were administered at low vs high doses or by bolus injection vs continuous infusion. Ultrafiltration (UF) has been considered a promising alternative to stepped diuretic therapy and it consists in the mechanical, adjustable removal of iso-tonic plasma water across a semipermeable membrane with the application of hydrostatic pressure gradient generated by a pump. Fluid removal with ultrafiltration presents several advantages such as elimination of higher amount of sodium with less neurohormonal activation. However, the conflicting results from UF studies highlight that patient selection and fluid removal targets are not completely understood. The best way to assess fluid status and therefore establish the fluid removal target is also still a matter of debate. Herein, we provide an up-to-date systematic review about the role of ultrafiltration among patients with fluid overload and its gaps in daily practice.

[Prehospital ultrasound and cardiological emergencies]

Technological advances over the past two decades have paved the way for the prehospital use of ultrasound. This practice was first developed in traumatology and then in a multitude of other indications, including cardiology. The development of pulmonary ultrasound is certainly the most visible illustration of this. Firstly, because it is an extra-cardiac examination that provides the answer to a cardiac question. Secondly because from a theoretical point of view this ultrasound indication was a bad indication for the use of ultrasound due to the air contained in the thorax. Thirdly, because this indication has become a 'standard of care' when caring for a patient with dyspnea - a practice that has become widespread during the COVID epidemic. In patients with heart failure, ultrasound has a high diagnostic power (including for alternative diagnoses) which is all the more precise since the technique is non-invasive, the response is obtained quickly, the examination can be repeated at desire to follow the evolution of the patient. The main other indications for prehospital ultrasound are cardiac arrest to search for a curable cause, identification of residual mechanical cardiac activity, monitoring of cerebral perfusion; chest pain, for both positive and negative diagnoses; shock for the search for an etiology and therapeutic follow-up or even pulmonary embolism or ultrasound for the search for dilation of the right ventricle which is now at the forefront of the recommendation algorithm.

Monitoring patients with acute dyspnea with serial point-of-care ultrasound of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and the lungs (LUS): a systematic review

PURPOSE

The primary aim was to investigate if treatment guided by serial ultrasound of the inferior vena cava-collapsibility index (IVC-CI) and B-lines on lung ultrasound (LUS) could reduce mortality, readmissions, and length of stay (LOS) in acutely dyspneic patients admitted to a hospital, compared to standard monitoring. The secondary aim was to determine how the changes of B-lines and IVC-CI are correlated to vitals and symptoms.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, OpenGrey, ProQuest, and databases for ongoing trials. The risk of bias was assessed according to study design.

RESULTS

Of the 8258 studies identified, 50 were selected for full-text screening, and 24 studies were chosen for data extraction (19 pre-post-, two non-randomized controlled-, two randomized controlled-, and one retrospective cohort study), covering 2040 patients. Most studies were single-center and had small study populations with only heart failure patients. The risk of bias was high. No studies evaluated how the difference between two ultrasound measurements correlated with the primary outcomes. Seven studies reported that a decline in either B-lines or IVC size, or an increased IVC-CI reduced mortality, readmissions, and LOS when correlated to a single ultrasound measurement. All studies showed changes in the IVC-CI and B-lines, but these were not related to vitals or symptoms.

CONCLUSION

B-lines and IVC-CI are dynamic variables that change over time and with treatment. A single ultrasound measurement can influence prognostic outcomes, but it remains uncertain if repeated scans can have the same impact.

[Focus ultrasound for cardiology practice. Russian consensus document]

This document is a consensus document of Russian Specialists in Heart Failure, Russian Society of Cardiology, Russian Association of Specialists in Ultrasound Diagnostics in Medicine and Russian Society for the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases. In the document a definition of focus ultrasound is stated and discussed when it can be used in cardiology practice in Russian Federation.

Effects of Lung Ultrasonography-Guided Management on Cumulative Fluid Balance and Other Clinical Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Lung ultrasonography is accurate in detecting pulmonary edema and overcomes most limitations of traditional diagnostic modalities. Whether use of lung ultrasonography-guided management has an effect on cumulative fluid balances and other clinical outcomes remains unclear. In this systematic review, we included 12 studies using ultrasonography guided-management with a total of 2290 patients. Four in-patient studies found a reduced cumulative fluid balance (ranging from -0.3 L to -2.4 L), whereas three out-patient studies found reduction in dialysis dry weight (ranging from -2.6 kg to -0.2 kg) compared with conventionally managed patients. None of the studies found adverse effects related to hypoperfusion. The use of lung ultrasonography-guided management was not associated with other clinical outcomes. This systematic review shows that lung ultrasonography-guided management, exclusively or in concert with other diagnostic modalities, is associated with a reduced cumulative fluid balance. Studies thus far have not shown a consistent effect on clinical outcomes.

It’s Not All about Echocardiography. Open the Lung Window for the Cardiac Emergencies

In the acute cardiac care setting, undifferentiated clinical presentations such as dyspnea, chest pain, shock, and cardiac arrest are common diagnostic challenges for the clinician. Lung ultrasonography is a well-established diagnostic tool which can be integrated in simplified decision making algorithms during the initial approach of the patient, in order to differentiate accurately cardiac from non-cardiac causes and improve the management of time-sensitive cardiovascular emergencies.

Lung ultrasound in acute myocardial infarction. Updating Killip & Kimball

Background

Heart failure complicating acute myocardial infarction marks an ominous prognosis. Killip and Kimball's classification of heart failure remains a useful tool in these patients. Lung ultrasound can detect pulmonary congestion but its usefulness in this scenario is unknown.

Objective

To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound to predict heart failure in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Methods

Patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction and without heart failure were evaluated with a lung ultrasound. The presence of B-lines was recorded and counted. The presence of new heart failure (Killip Class B, C, or D) during hospitalization was evaluated by a cardiologist blinded to the results of lung ultrasound. A ROC curve analysis was done to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of B-lines to predict heart failure.

Results

200 patients were included. Three patients were diagnosed with cardiogenic shock, 5 with acute pulmonary edema, and 17 with mild heart failure. Patients who develop heart failure had a median of 14 B-lines, however, patients who remained in Killip class A had a median of 2 (p = 0,0001). The area under the ROC curve of the sum of B-lines to predict any form of heart failure was 0,91 (CI95% 86–97). The best cut-off value was 5 B-lines, with a sensitivity of 88% (IC95% 68,8–97,5) and specificity of 81% (IC95% 73,9–86,2).

Conclusion

Lung ultrasound done at admission can help to predict heart failure In patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Recommendations for Lung Ultrasound in Internal Medicine

A growing amount of evidence prompts us to update the first version of recommendations for lung ultrasound in internal medicine (POLLUS-IM) that was published in 2018. The recommendations were established in several stages, consisting of: literature review, assessment of literature data quality (with the application of QUADAS, QUADAS-2 and GRADE criteria) and expert evaluation carried out consistently with the modified Delphi method (three rounds of on-line discussions, followed by a secret ballot by the panel of experts after each completed discussion). Publications to be analyzed were selected from the following databases: Pubmed, Medline, OVID, and Embase. New reports published as of October 2019 were added to the existing POLLUS-IM database used for the original publication of 2018. Altogether, 528 publications were systematically reviewed, including 253 new reports published between September 2017 and October 2019. The new recommendations concern the following conditions and issues: pneumonia, heart failure, monitoring dialyzed patients' hydration status, assessment of pleural effusion, pulmonary embolism and diaphragm function assessment. POLLUS-IM 2020 recommendations were established primarily for clinicians who utilize lung ultrasound in their everyday clinical work.

Monitoring patients with acute dyspnoea with a serial focused ultrasound of the heart and the lungs (MODUS): a protocol for a multicentre, randomised, open-label, pragmatic and controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Among patients admitted to an emergency department, dyspnoea is one of the most common symptoms. Patients with dyspnoea have high mortality and morbidity. Therefore, novel methods to monitor the patients are warranted. The aim is to investigate whether therapy guided by monitoring patients with acute dyspnoea with serial ultrasound examinations of the heart and the lungs together with standard care can change the severity of dyspnoea compared with treatment guided by standard monitoring alone.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The study will be conducted as a multicentre, randomised, pragmatic, open-label and controlled trial where patients admitted with acute dyspnoea to an emergency ward will be randomised into a standard care group and a serial ultrasound group with 103 patients in each. All patients will be examined with an ultrasound of the heart and the lungs upfront. In addition, the patients in the serial ultrasound group will be examined with an ultrasound of the heart and lungs two more times to guide further therapy during the admittance. The primary outcome is a change in dyspnoea on a verbal scale. After discharge, the patients are followed for 1 year to assess the number of readmissions, death and length of hospital stay.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by The Regional Committee on Health Research Ethics for Region Zealand, Denmark (identifier SJ-744). Data handling agreement with participating centres has been made (identifier REG-056-2019). The General Data Protection Regulation and the Danish Data Protection Act will be respected. The results of the trial will be reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals regardless of the outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04091334.

ERS statement on chest imaging in acute respiratory failure

Chest imaging in patients with acute respiratory failure plays an important role in diagnosing, monitoring and assessing the underlying disease. The available modalities range from plain chest X-ray to computed tomography, lung ultrasound, electrical impedance tomography and positron emission tomography. Surprisingly, there are presently no clear-cut recommendations for critical care physicians regarding indications for and limitations of these different techniques.The purpose of the present European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement is to provide physicians with a comprehensive clinical review of chest imaging techniques for the assessment of patients with acute respiratory failure, based on the scientific evidence as identified by systematic searches. For each of these imaging techniques, the panel evaluated the following items: possible indications, technical aspects, qualitative and quantitative analysis of lung morphology and the potential interplay with mechanical ventilation. A systematic search of the literature was performed from inception to September 2018. A first search provided 1833 references. After evaluating the full text and discussion among the committee, 135 references were used to prepare the current statement.These chest imaging techniques allow a better assessment and understanding of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of patients with acute respiratory failure, but have different indications and can provide additional information to each other.

Imaging the Injured Lung: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Use

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) consists of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure characterized by massive and heterogeneously distributed loss of lung aeration caused by diffuse inflammation and edema present in interstitial and alveolar spaces. It is defined by consensus criteria, which include diffuse infiltrates on chest imaging-either plain radiography or computed tomography. This review will summarize how imaging sciences can inform modern respiratory management of ARDS and continue to increase the understanding of the acutely injured lung. This review also describes newer imaging methodologies that are likely to inform future clinical decision-making and potentially improve outcome. For each imaging modality, this review systematically describes the underlying principles, technology involved, measurements obtained, insights gained by the technique, emerging approaches, limitations, and future developments. Finally, integrated approaches are considered whereby multimodal imaging may impact management of ARDS.

[Pulmonary congestion by lung ultrasound in decompensated heart failure: associations, in-hospital changes, prognostic value]

BACKGROUND

Recently lung ultrasound (LUS) based on B-lines measurement has been proposed as an effective tool for assessment of pulmonary congestion (PC) in patients with decompensated heart failure (DHF).

OBJECTIVE

to assess the incidence, in-hospital changes and prognostic significance of PC assessed by LUS in DHF patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Routine clinical assessment and eight-zone LUS were performed in 162 patients with DHF (men 66%, mean age 68±12 years, hypertension 97%, history of myocardial infarction 44%, atrial fibrillation 60%, ejection fraction [EF] 40±14%, EF<40% 46%, baseline NT-proBNP 4 246 [1741; 6 837] pg/ml). Sum of B-lines ≤5 was considered as normal, 6-15, 16-30 and >30 - as mild, moderate and severe PC, respectively.

RESULTS

Using LUS on admission PC was diagnosed in all patients (moderate and severe in 31.5 and 67.3%, respectively). At discharge normal LUS profile was observed in 48.2% of patients. In 33.3, 14.8 and 3.7% of patients PC was mild, moderate, and severe, respectively. According to multivariable Cox regression analysis including age, sex, EF, NYHA functional class, and jugular venous distension sum of B-lines >5 at discharge was associated with higher probability of 12-month all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] 2.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-7.13, p=0.024), sum of B-lines >15 - with higher probability of HF readmission (HR 2.83, 95%CI 1.41-5.67, p=0.003).

CONCLUSION

During hospital stay the incidence of PC as assessed by LUS decreased from 100 to 52% of patients. Sum of B-lines >5 at discharge was independently associated with higher risk of 12-month all-cause death, >15 - with higher risk of 12-month HF readmission.

Optimizing Hypertensive Acute Heart Failure Management with Afterload Reduction

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In spite of advances in our understanding of acute heart failure (AHF) and its different phenotypic expressions, AHF management is still centered on volume removal with intravenous diuretics. This narrative review describes the pathophysiology underlying hypertensive AHF and appraises therapies targeting these mechanisms.

RECENT FINDINGS

Vascular redistribution rather than volume overload may be the primary determinant of elevated cardiac filling pressures and subsequent pulmonary congestion in patients with hypertensive AHF; in these patients, vasodilators should be the predominant treatment. Additional therapy with diuretics in hypertensive AHF should be relegated to the treatment of overt volume overload or persistent congestion in spite of optimized hemodynamics. Intravenous nitroglycerin at high doses can rapidly achieve pulmonary decongestion and reduce downstream critical care needs in these patients. The therapeutic role for synthetic peptides with vasodilator properties has yet to be defined. Evidence supporting both old and new vasodilator therapies is limited by a paucity of well-designed studies and failure to demonstrate improvement in long-term outcomes. Targeted study of this phenotype of AHF is needed before vasodilator therapies become incorporated into treatment guidelines.