Doppler echocardiography in shocked patients

To reiterate the necessity of integrating echocardiography in the management of shocked patients and to propose a step-by-step functional evaluation of hemodynamics proven to optimize hemodynamic monitoring and to adapt the treatment.

Echocardiography has become the cornerstone to hemodynamic monitoring. By providing real-time images, echocardiography has the advantage over 'blind' technologies of an excellent diagnostic performance and of quick provision of information about the pathophysiology of circulatory failure. Critical care echocardiography (CCE) has been defined as echocardiography performed and interpreted by intensivists themselves, 7/7 and 24/24, at the bedside. Basic CCE is mainly a diagnostic approach, allowing quick and focused examination of cardiac function. Advanced CCE is the core of functional hemodynamic monitoring. It is based not only on transthoracic echocardiography but also strongly on transesophageal echocardiography, a very useful approach in ventilated patients. However, this monitoring is discontinuous. A single-use 72-h indwelling transesophageal probe was recently tested, allowing functional hemodynamic monitoring more continuously.

Echocardiography has become a hemodynamic monitoring technique used worldwide. It allows to make a quick and simple diagnosis of typical hemodynamic situations, by means of basic CCE, and also to achieve real functional hemodynamic monitoring, through advanced CCE.