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Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in the intensive care unit: trends and perspectives
Lewis Ari Eisen1, Pericles Davlouros, Dimitrios Karakitsos
1Jay B. Langner Critical Care Service, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
Critical Care Research and Practice
|June 6, 2012
Summary
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFNEF) is common in ICUs but understudied. This review explores methods to diagnose HFNEF and its impact on critically ill patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Clinical Physiology
Background:
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFNEF) constitutes a significant proportion of heart failure cases, potentially over 50%.
- Despite increasing recognition, HFNEF incidence and prognosis in intensive care unit (ICU) patients remain under-researched.
- ICU environments and treatments can precipitate or worsen left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, affecting patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current methods for assessing LV diastolic function.
- To evaluate the feasibility of implementing these diagnostic methods in the ICU setting.
- To address the diagnostic gap for HFNEF in critically ill patients.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on LV diastolic function assessment techniques.
- Analysis of factors within the ICU that influence LV diastolic function.
- Discussion of the practical application and limitations of diagnostic tools in critical care.
Main Results:
- LV diastolic dysfunction is prevalent in ICUs and linked to morbidity and mortality.
- Various echocardiographic and other non-invasive methods can assess diastolic function.
- Implementation challenges exist but are surmountable for diagnosing HFNEF in the ICU.
Conclusions:
- Accurate diagnosis of HFNEF in the ICU is crucial for appropriate management.
- Standardized assessment of LV diastolic function is needed for HFNEF patients in critical care.
- Further research should focus on the specific prognostic implications of HFNEF in the ICU population.
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