Role of Lung Ultrasound and Inferior Vena Cava Diameter in Assessment of Patients with Heart Failure

Abstract

Background: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a multifaceted clinical condition marked by recurrent episodes of acute decompensation, needing repetitive hospital stays, and re-admissions. The CHF management is still a clinical challenge; choices are built on clinical evaluations of volume status, which are utilized for cardiac filling pressureestimation.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the role of lung US and Inferior Vena Cava Diameter (IVCD) in assessment of HF-cases.

Patients and Methods: The current work has been performed on 50 HF (heart failure) cases diagnosed in the Chest Department of Al- Azhar University Hospitals from April 2019 to June 2021. Chest radiograph, as a reference for the presence of pulmonary congestion, echocardiography for both systolic and diastolic function assessment and lung U/S. US examinations of the anterolateral chest were done.

Results: A highly significant association was found among inferior Vena Cava-Collapsibility Index (IVC-CI) and Dyspnea Class. A highly significant association was found among IVC-CI and echocardiography. A highly significant association was found among IVC-CI and B lines.

Conclusion: Ultrasound can be utilized as an alternative technique for estimating the intra-vascular volume such as measuring the IVCD and so the caval index. The utilization of pulmonary ultrasound (PU) to evaluate dyspneic cases and those with HF in dissimilar clinical settings raises the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of pulmonary congestion diagnosing and prognosis in HF cases.