title: Imaging Techniques in Acute Heart Failure.
abstract: In recent years, imaging techniques have revolutionized the diagnosis of heart failure. In patients with a clinical picture of acute decompensation, prognosis is largely determined by early implementation of general measures and treatment of the underlying cause. Given its diagnostic yield and portability, ultrasound has become an essential tool in the setting of acute heart failure, and is currently found in all medical departments involved in the care of the critically ill patient. Cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography allow detailed characterization of multiple aspects of cardiac structure and function that were previously unavailable. This helps guide and monitor many of the treatment decisions in the acute heart failure population in an entirely noninvasive way. This article aims to review the usefulness of the imaging techniques that are clinically relevant in the context of an episode of acute heart failure. We discuss the indications and limitations of these techniques in detail and describe the general principles for the appropriate interpretation of results.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Candelas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez del Villar
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yotti
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: javier.bermejo@salud.madrid.org.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bermejo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D057791:Cardiac Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Echocardiography; Ecocardiografía; Heart failure; Imagen; Imaging; Insuficiencia cardiaca