Critical Care Medicine · 1985 · 129 citations · 0 references
MedicineCardiologyInternal MedicineCritical Care CardiologyPulmonologyVentilator ManagementAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAcute Respiratory Distress Syndrome VentilationAcute Respiratory FailureBreathing SupportMechanical VentilationRespiratory FailureCardiac Systolic FunctionMechanical Ventilation ManagementRight Ventricular ContractilityRight Ventricular EchocardiographyRight Ventricular EnlargementRight Ventricular Systolic FunctionTwo-dimensional EchocardiographyVentricular Interdependence
Right ventricular size and contractility were evaluated using two-dimensional echocardiography during the first days of respiratory support in 23 patients requiring mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure. Nine patients had normal echocardiographic right ventricular function, and nine other patients had a slightly enlarged right ventricle with normal systolic function. The remaining five patients had a severely enlarged right ventricle with abnormal contractile pattern. In these five patients, two-dimensional echocardiography also showed a reduction in left ventricular size suggesting detrimental ventricular interdependence. All 23 patients had normal left ventricular systolic function by two-dimensional echocardiography.