Arq Bras Cardiol: Imagem cardiovasc. 2023; 36(2): e20230049

Lung Ultrasound in Outpatients with Heart Failure

Marco Stephan

Lofrano-Alves

DOI: 10.36660/abcimg.20230049i

Over the last decade, we have witnessed the widespread use of lung ultrasound (LU) in the assessment of pulmonary congestion. In addition to the well-known technique of auscultation of adventitious lung sounds, LU makes an important contribution by sharpening our vision to the diagnosis of pulmonary interstitial edema by quantification of B-lines. LU has emerged as a relevant and updated method, since it is a safe, low-cost, rapid and available at bedside, being an alternative to imaging methods associated with ionizing radiation, such as chest tomography and X-ray.

LU is a standardized tool in diagnosis and treatment monitoring today, and has been studied in different clinical scenarios of pulmonary congestion of cardiogenic origin.^– In outpatients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), B-line counting by LU showed an 89% accuracy with a cutoff ≥ 15 B-lines. In another study with patients hospitalized for HFrEF, the risk of an adverse in-hospital event increased with the rising number of B-lines at admission, and the risk of HF hospitalization and all-cause death was greater in patients with a higher number of B-lines at discharge.

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