Echocardiographic Assessment of Preload Responsiveness in Critically Ill Patients
Figure 2
Respiratory variations of maximal velocity (Vmax) (a and c) and VTI (b and d) of aortic blood flow recorded with a pulsed Doppler transthoracic echocardiography in a mechanically ventilated patient (a and c). Presence of significant respiratory variations of Vmax (Vmax − Vmin/[Vmax + Vmin/2]; 1.29 − 1.09/1.19 = 17%) and VTI (VTImax − VTImin/[VTImax + VTI min/2]; 20.7 − 17.3/19 = 18%). (b and d) Same patient after volume expansion, regression of the respiratory variations: Vmax (1.37 − 1.32/1.34 = 4%), VTI (23.5 − 22.3/22.9 = 5%). Reproduced with permission from Levitov et al. “Critical care Ultrasonography” Mc Graw Hill 2009.
