Point of care ultrasound - the noninvasive evaluation of hemodynamic status

Introduction

Echocardiography(ECHO) is a useful diagnostic and monitoring tool. It allows to perform repetitive hemodynamic and functional assessment over a period of minutes, hours or days in the same patients to guide applied therapy. ECHO has been performed by our medical staff for 3 years and since then we have been observing reduced number of using invasive monitoring in our ICU.

Objectives

The aim of the study was to analyze impact on diagnosis, decision making and management based on data received from invasive monitoring vs. echocardiography.

Methods

Data from 2 years before and 2 years after implementing a routine echocardiography to provide hemodynamic assessments have been compared and statistical analysis has been made.

Results

Table 1 Results.

Conclusions

Echocardiography could be a useful method to asses patients hemodynamic status and to plan fluid or inotropic therapy. In our investigation ECHO allowed to reduce usage of fluids and

did not influence on mean time of mechanical ventilation and mortality.

Grant Acknowledgment

ICU Staff.