The most important Point of Care for Ultrasounds application (POCUS) for bedside echocardiography is to use it. It allows you to evaluate the hemodynamic state of your patients, determine fluid status, and identify potentially life-threatening shocks like tamponade. We will demonstrate how cardiac ultrasound can assist you in your day-to-day practice.
IVC measurements only give you a fixed size to determine the central vein pressure. IVC measurements are subject to the same limitations as CVP. It’s most advantageous when the IVC or CVP estimates a low CVP. Measurements in the middle can be taken as indeterminate. More advanced hemodynamics ecocardiograma bogota measurements shobe taken to evalufluid responsiveness and venous congestion.
Systolic Heart Disease (also known as “Heart Failure and Reduced Heart Function (HFrHF)”) will often present with shortness and/or orthopnea. They may also experience exercise intolerance, irregular heartbeats, and edema in their bilateral upper and lower extremities. It is common to have cardiogenic pulmonary embolism and B-lines in ultrasound.
In assessing the systolic functions of these patients, the Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) is one of the most popular surrogates. Ejection Fraction can be described as a percentage of the blood the left ventricle pumps with each contraction. This tutorial will provide a detailed explanation of qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluating Ejection Fraction. Ejection fractions of 60 percent mean that 60 percent of total blood is expelled during each systolic cycle.
If the patient’s left ventricular walls move smoothly and close together during systole while the anterior mitral valve leaflet is touching the septum during diastole, they likely have an average ejection percentage. The patient could have a low ejection rate if the anterior mitral valve leaflet doesn’t move during diastole or the left ventricles aren’t moving at all during systole.
A Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot deposited into the pulmonary arteries from a distal spot. Most commonly, the blob comes from a deep blood clot ( located in the lower extremities. This blood clot will travel in the vein circulation, enter the right side of your heart, and finally into the lung arteries. Here’s how to do DVT Ultrasound.
Due to the rapid onset/timing of Pulmonary Embolism, patients often experience symptoms like chest pain, shortness, cough, hemoptysis, syncope, and chest pain. Some risk factors include recent travel, cancer, hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives (OCP), immobility, or hormonal replacement therapy (HRT).
Acute PE is defined as submassive (or intermediate risk) PE. This refers to patients with severe PE but no systemic hypotension and shows evidence of right ventricle (RV) dysfunction or myocardial neoplasm. RV dysfunction is defined by RV dilation, hypokinesis, or elevations of brain natriuretic protein (BNP); elevated troponin may indicate myocardial destruction. Evidence suggests that patients with RV dysfunction may benefit from a “half-dose” of thrombolytic treatment.
Massive Pulmonary Embolis-Massive (or high–risk PE) is a term used to describe patients with right-ventricular dysfunction and sustained hypotension. Patients suffering from severe right ventricular dysfunction or prolonged hypotension but not due to any other cause than PE will require inotropic support. These patients could benefit from thrombolytic therapy.