Preload and fluid responsiveness
Critical care echocardiography (CCE) provides various parameters to assess fluid requirement in critically ill patients with circulatory compromise. Static parameters are based on both the measurement of the size of left ventricular cavity at end-diastole and of the inferior vena cava at end-expiration. Although low values are indicative of overt hypovolemia, static indices reflecting left ventricular preload and venous return fail to accurately predict fluid responsiveness. Accordingly, dynamic parameters based on heart–lung interactions have been validated, mostly in patients with septic shock. In mechanically ventilated patients, respiratory variations of the size of both superior and inferior vena cava, and of Doppler velocity recorded in the left ventricular outflow tract are proposed to predict fluid responsiveness. Due to their intrinsic respective limitations, these dynamic indices are complementary and can be used concomitantly according to the clinical presentation. Passive leg raise can be used in ventilated or in spontaneously breathing patients to predict fluid responsiveness. In addition, CCE accurately evaluates both the efficacy and tolerance of fluid challenges and provides a non-invasive monitoring of haemodynamics in unstable patients.