Echocardiography in the Intensive Care Unit

Purpose of Review This review provides an overview of the evidence for and current practices incorporating the use of echocardiography in the intensive care setting. We describe training and certification for critical care echocardiography and the use of echocardiography for the assessment of hemodynamics, fluid responsiveness, diagnosis of shock, procedural guidance, and cardiac arrest. Recent Findings Recent advances have been made in multiple aspects of critical care echocardiography, including training and certification, assessment of fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing patients, and evaluation of undifferentiated shock. Summary Echocardiography is increasingly used in the intensive care setting. Its applications and evidence base continue to expand. Randomized controlled trials are needed to demonstrate that the use of echocardiography improves patient outcomes.