Pulmonary ultrasonography in acute decompensated heart failure <b>[Abstract in English]</b>

Abstract

AIMS: To review literature data concerning the use of pulmonary ultrasonography as a diagnostic method in acute decompensated heart failure. SOURCE OF DATA: Articles found in the PubMed database and recent editions of books. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: Acute decompensated heart failure is a highly prevalent condition in the emergency room. The differential diagnosis from other syndromes associated with acute respiratory failure often represents a complex task for the emergency room physician, since clinical examination and chest radiography do not have sufficient specificity. Pulmonary ultrasonography has been studied as a new technique for the diagnosis of acute heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary ultrasonography has good sensitivity and specificity for pulmonary interstitial edema, in addition to low cost and ease of learning. Hence it has a good applicability for targeting diagnosis, both for confirmation of interstitial edema and for excluding other illnesses.