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Review
. 2021 Jul 21;11(8):1306.
doi: 10.3390/diagnostics11081306.

Pulmonary Congestion Assessment in Heart Failure: Traditional and New Tools

Filippo Pirrotta  1 , Benedetto Mazza  2 , Luigi Gennari  1 , Alberto Palazzuoli  2
Affiliations
Review

Pulmonary Congestion Assessment in Heart Failure: Traditional and New Tools

Filippo Pirrotta et al. Diagnostics (Basel). .

Abstract

Congestion related to cardiac pressure and/or volume overload plays a central role in the pathophysiology, presentation, and prognosis of heart failure (HF). Most HF exacerbations are related to a progressive rise in cardiac filling pressures that precipitate pulmonary congestion and symptomatic decompensation. Furthermore, persistent symptoms and signs of congestion at discharge or among outpatients are strong predictors of an adverse outcome. Pulmonary congestion is also one of the most important diagnostic and therapeutic targets in chronic heart failure. The aim of this review is to analyze the importance of clinical, instrumental, and biochemical evaluation of congestion in HF by describing old and new tools. Lung ultrasonography (LUS) is an emerging method to assess pulmonary congestion. Accordingly, we describe the additive prognostic role of chest ultrasound with respect to traditional clinical and X-ray assessment in acute and chronic HF setting.

Keywords: clinical assessment; congestion; heart failure.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Traditional diagnostic screening for congestion detection in HF: current criteria are based on signs and symptoms, NPs measurement, and chest radiography.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Echographic findings in HF.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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