title: Resolution of sonographic B-lines as a measure of pulmonary decongestion in acute heart failure.
abstract: Objective noninvasive measures of dyspnea in patients with acute heart failure are lacking. In this review, we describe lung ultrasound as a tool to estimate the degree of pulmonary congestion in patients presenting with acute heart failure and to monitor therapeutic efficacy. Serial semiquantitative measures of sonographic B-lines in acute heart failure patients can be converted to pulmonary edema scores obtained at admission and hospital discharge. These scores provide prognostic information for short-term clinical outcomes. Lung ultrasound has the potential to measure changes in pulmonary edema during acute heart failure management and improve risk stratification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 11203. Electronic address: martindale.jen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martindale
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography