Abstract

RICARTE-BRATTI, Juan Pablo; LOZITA, Julieta  and  RAVINOVICH, Elizabeth. Comprehensive assessment of congestion in heart failure. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2023, vol.83, n.6, pp.339-347. ISSN 0025-7680.

The complex, heterogeneous, and dynamic interac tion between the interstitial and intravascular fluid compartments is one of the main reasons for the wide variability in the distribution and severity of congestion among patients with acute heart failure. The “hemody namic congestion” often goes undetected clinically; as opposed to “clinical congestion”, which occurs later and is evidenced by dyspnea and orthopnea, rales, peripheral edema, and jugular venous distension. Clinical signs, chest X-ray, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-termi nal-proBNP (NT-proBNP), central venous pressure (CVP), echocardiogram, inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter, and pulmonary wedge pressure are the most commonly used elements to assess congestion. Other alternatives are pulmonary and visceral ultrasound (VEXUS), CA 125 and other markers, and recently, the CardioMems system.

Keywords : Congestion; Volume overload; Heart failure.

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