Echocardiographic evaluation of hemodynamic parameters

Hemodynamic assessment is a constant and common task in critically ill and injured patients. Correct interpretation of this data is vital to implement the appropriate intervention, if any. It can be difficult to properly interpret derived and measured data from a pulmonary artery catheter for optimal care of these difficult patients. Catheter use remains controversial because some researchers believe there is no clear benefit to the mortality rate. This conundrum will never be settled without a prospective blinded study. However, echocardiography is a vital and reliable monitoring tool to interrogate pressures, ventricular function, ventricular volumes, ventricular interactions, and diastolic compliance. In some institutions, it is used to construct a pressure/volume curve to measure contractility, which is load-dependent. Echocardiography easily can measure intracardiac pressures accurately but in a static fashion, which is one of its major benefits.