The use of echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care: Recommendations of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association.
Echocardiography is one of the most powerful diagnostic and monitoring tools available to the modern emergency/critical care practitioner. Currently, there is a lack of specific European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging/Acute Cardiovascular Care Association recommendations for the use of echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care. In this document, we describe the practical applications of echocardiography in patients with acute cardiac conditions, in particular with acute chest pain, acute heart failure, suspected cardiac tamponade, complications of myocardial infarction, acute valvular heart disease including endocarditis, acute disease of the ascending aorta and post-intervention complications. Specific issues regarding echocardiography in other acute cardiovascular care scenarios are also described.
University of Liège Hospital, Cardiology Care Unit, GIGA Cardiovascular Sciences, Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Sart Tilman, Belgium plancellotti@chu.ulg.ac.be s.price@rbht.nhs.uk.
Patrizio
P
Lancellotti
Adult Intensive Care Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
Susanna
S
Price
Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Norway.
Thor
T
Edvardsen
Department of Cardiology, Univeristair ziekenhuis, VUB, Centrum Voor Hart-en Vaatziekten (CHVZ), Brussels, Belgium.
Bernard
B
Cosyns
Clinical Hospital Centre Zemun, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia.
Aleksandar N
AN
Neskovic
University of Liège Hospital, Cardiology Care Unit, GIGA Cardiovascular Sciences, Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Sart Tilman, Belgium.
Raluca
R
Dulgheru
Uppsala Universitet, Institutionen för Medicinska Vetenskaper, Sweden.
Frank A
FA
Flachskampf
Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Christian
C
Hassager
Pôle de Recherche Cardiovasculaire, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain and Division of Cardiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Agnes
A
Pasquet
Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, Pisa, Italy.
Luna
L
Gargani
Department of Medical Translational Sciences, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy.
Maurizio
M
Galderisi
Echocardiography Laboratory, Hospital da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal.
Nuno
N
Cardim
Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Norway.
Kristina H
KH
Haugaa
University of Liège Hospital, Cardiology Care Unit, GIGA Cardiovascular Sciences, Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Sart Tilman, Belgium.
Arnaud
A
Ancion
University of Alcala, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Jose-Luis
JL
Zamorano
Cardiology Department, CHU Rennes and LTSI, Université Rennes-1, France.
Erwan
E
Donal
Department of Cardiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón & Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
Héctor
H
Bueno
Aix-Marseille Université, APHM, La Timone Hospital, Cardiology Department, France.
Gilbert
G
Habib
Acute cardiovascular care; critically ill patients; echocardiography; recommendations