Acute heart failure: speckle tracking echocardiography, a new ally in intensive care unit

Abstract Background Acute Heart Failure (AHF) is a life-threatening condition with high mortality rate. Purpose The aim of our study was to identify the best predictors of in-hospital mortality and stay, among laboratory blood tests, clinic and echocardiographic (standard and by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography, STE) parameters in patients admitted to our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for AHF. Methods We enrolled 57 patients (age 70±13 y, 70% man) admitted to our ICU with de novo AHF or acute decompensation of Chronic Heart Failure (CHF). Exclusion criteria were: active malignancies, chronic liver disease, absent acoustic echocardiographic window and patient refusal. At ICU admission, all patients were assessed with vital signs (heart rate, HR; systolic blood pressure, SBP), blood laboratory tests, standard echo and STE of left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV) and left atrium (LA). These indexes were then related to the length of stay and mortality. Results The population was finally composed of 52 patients, due to 5 in-hospital deaths. 56% had an ischemic aetiology, 26% idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, 11% valvular diseases, 7% other causes of HF. At admission, average HR was 78±16 bpm, SBP 119±24 mmHg and EF 33±13%. Among all the parameters, the ones that showed significant statistical correlation with the length of hospitalization (15,34±7.03 days) were plasmatic creatinine, SBP, Systolic Pulmonary Artery Pressure, high LV filling pressure (E/E' >12) and Peak Atrial Longitudinal Strain (PALS). The maximal dose of intravenous loop diuretics and inotropic drugs also showed a good correlation. Analysing the two sub-populations with mortality data, we observed that patients who died, had a significantly lower EF (19±9.62% vs 35±12.55%; p=0,01), but not a higher left atrial volume indexed (31.04±14.87 vs 26.36±12.03 ml/m2; p= ns) compared to the survivors; instead PALS was significant worse (10.08±4.62 vs 20.64±13,35%; p<001). Free wall RV Longitudinal Strain (fw-RVLS) values for the patients who died (−9.41±4.66%) were significantly lower than in survivors (−13.67±6.02%; p<0.01). LVGLS (Left Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain) did not show statistical significant differences between the two populations. Based on the results of ROC analysis (Figure 1), we created a score to predict in-hospital mortality, composed of: EF, PALS and RVLS-free wall. The ideal cut point to predict mortality was >1.5. Figure 1 Conclusions AHF represents one of the major challenges in ICU. The use of a combined echocardiographic score, assessed at admission, could help to better predict mortality risk, in addition to commonly used indexes.