Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in the intensive care unit: trends and perspectives.
Heart failure with a normal or nearly normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (HFNEF) may represent more than 50% of heart failure cases. Although HFNEF is being increasingly recognized, there is a relative lack of information regarding its incidence and prognostic implications in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. In the ICU, many factors related to patient's history, or applied therapies, may induce or aggravate LV diastolic dysfunction. This may impact on patients' morbidity and mortality. This paper discusses methods for assessing LV diastolic function and the feasibility of their implementation for diagnosing HFNEF in the ICU.
Jay 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.
Lewis Ari
LA
Eisen
Pericles
P
Davlouros
Dimitrios
D
Karakitsos