[Management of right ventricular failure in pulmonary vascular diseases]

Right ventricular failure (RVF) is a common cause of admission to the intensive care unit and its presence is a major prognostic factor in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and chronic pulmonary hypertension (PH). RVF results from an incapacity of the RV to adapt to an increase in afterload so it can become critical in acute PE and chronic PH. The presence of RVF in cases of acute PE with haemodynamic instability is an indication for thrombolytic therapy. RVF represents the most common cause of death in chronic PH. Factors triggering RV failure in PH, such as infection, PE, arrhythmias, or unplanned withdrawal of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-targeted therapy, have to be considered and treated if identified. However, RVF may also represent progression to end-stage disease. The management of RVF in patients with PH requires expertise and consists of optimization of fluid balance (with diuretics), cardiac output (with inotropic support such as dobutamine), perfusion pressure (with norepinephrine), and reduction of RV afterload with PAH-targeted therapies. Extracorporeal life support, lung transplantation or heart-lung transplantation should be considered in cases of refractory RVF in eligible patients.