COVID-19 and Acute Heart Failure: Screening the Critically Ill - A Position Statement of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ).

Up to one-third of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care develop an acute cardiomyopathy, which may represent myocarditis or stress cardiomyopathy. Further, while mortality in older patients with COVID-19 appears related to multi-organ failure complicating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the cause of death in younger patients may be related to acute heart failure. Cardiac involvement needs to be considered early on in critically ill COVID-19 patients, and even after the acute respiratory phase is passing. This Statement presents a screening algorithm to better identify COVID-19 patients at risk for severe heart failure and circulatory collapse, while balancing the need to protect health care workers and preserve personal protective equipment (PPE). The significance of serum troponin levels and the role of telemetry and targeted transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in patient investigation and management are addressed, as are fundamental considerations in the management of acute heart failure in COVID-19 patients.

Reporting focused lung ultrasound studies in critical care. Recommendations from the College of Intensive Care Medicine Ultrasound Special Interest Group.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the recommended procedure and common ultrasonographic findings and present a framework for labelling, recording and reporting of images obtained during a focused lung ultrasound study. BACKGROUND: Lung ultrasound is a widely utilised point-of-care investigation in acute care, providing valuable diagnostic information in patients with dyspnoea or haemodynamic instability. It has a number of recognised advantages and has been incorporated into a variety of clinical algorithms. Recommendations for performing lung ultrasound and description of common artefacts are readily available; however, there is a lack of a recognised framework for labelling and reporting a lung ultrasound study. Standardised recording, labelling and reporting are important clinically, while promoting consistency, quality assurance, teaching and research opportunities. Documenting lung ultrasound also has potential medico-legal implications. RESULTS: For focused lung ultrasound, an extended bilateral four-quadrant approach is recommended. Acquired images and loops should be clearly labelled identifying left or right, anterior or lateral and inferior, superior or posterior locations. 2D loops should be of sufficient length to clearly demonstrate pleural sliding, complemented by M-mode stills if required. Reports should provide information regarding the presence or absence of an intact pleural interface, the presence or absence and the size and nature of pleural collections as well as any parenchymal artefacts or consolidation, in all examined locations. It is important to use internationally accepted terminology to describe findings, and it is also recommended to conclude the report with a clear summary that can be interpreted by healthcare providers without specific training in lung ultrasound.

Bedside lung ultrasound in the care of the critically ill.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the technique and review the utility of bedside lung ultrasound in acute care. SUMMARY: Lung ultrasound is a useful point-of-care investigation in acute care, especially in patients with dyspnoea or haemodynamic instability. Although normal lung parenchyma is not accessible to ultrasound, distinctive artefacts arising from parietal and visceral pleura indirectly imply the presence of normal lung. As aeration of lung tissue reduces with disease process, visual assessment of several pathologic entities by ultrasound becomes possible. Ultrasound can be used for qualitative and quantitative assessment as well as to guide intervention. Compared with supine anteroposterior chest x-rays, lung ultrasound is faster and superior at ruling out pneumothorax and diagnosing lung consolidation, pleural effusions or pulmonary oedema. It is a logical and highly valuable extension of echocardiography and can be incorporated into diagnostic algorithms for assessment of dyspnoea, hypotension, chest pain or trauma. It provides rapid information about potentially reversible pathology in cardiac arrest scenarios. Other advantages include bedside availability, repeatability, provision of dynamic diagnostic information, ease of use and the absence of radiation exposure.

Traditional landmark versus ultrasound guided tracheal puncture during percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in adult intensive care patients: a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Long-term ventilated intensive care patients frequently require tracheostomy. Although overall risks are low, serious immediate and late complications still arise. Real-time ultrasound guidance has been proposed to decrease complications and improve the accuracy of the tracheal puncture. We aimed to compare the procedural safety and efficacy of real-time ultrasound guidance with the traditional landmark approach during percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT). METHODS: A total of 50 patients undergoing PDT for clinical indications were randomly assigned, after obtaining informed consent, to have the tracheal puncture procedure carried out using either traditional anatomical landmarks or real-time ultrasound guidance. Puncture position was recorded via bronchoscopy. Blinded assessors determined in a standardised fashion the deviation of the puncture off midline and whether appropriate longitudinal position between the first and fourth tracheal rings was achieved. Procedural safety and efficacy data, including complications and number of puncture attempts required, were collected. RESULTS: In total, 47 data sets were evaluable. Real-time ultrasound guidance resulted in significantly more accurate tracheal puncture. Mean deviation from midline was 15 ± 3° versus 35 ± 5° (P = 0.001). The proportion of appropriate punctures, defined a priori as 0 ± 30° from midline, was significantly higher: 20 (87%) of 23 versus 12 (50%) of 24 (RR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.13 to 2.67; P = 0.006). First-pass success rate was 20 (87%) of 23 in the ultrasound group and 14 (58%) of 24 in the landmark group (RR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.03 to 2.17; P = 0.028). The observed decrease in procedural complications was not statistically significant: 5 (22%) of 23 in the ultrasound group versus 9 (37%) of 24 in the landmark group (RR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.23 to 1.47; P = 0.24). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound guidance significantly improved the rate of first-pass puncture and puncture accuracy. Fewer procedural complications were observed; however, this did not reach statistical significance. These results support wider general use of real-time ultrasound guidance as an additional tool to improve PDT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ID: ACTRN12611000237987 (registered 4 March 2011).

Safety and efficacy of ultrasonography before and during percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in adult patients: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review to examine the safety and efficacy of ultrasound before and/or during percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT). METHODS: Systematic searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were undertaken to identify trials reporting on safety and efficacy of using ultrasound guidance before and/or during PDT. RESULTS: Ultrasound before PDT: no controlled trials; two observational studies suggested a possible benefit in avoiding serious complications by identifying vulnerable vascular structures. Real-time ultrasound during PDT: one controlled study, which retrospectively compared real-time ultrasound guidance with the landmark-guided technique and found it to be superior in avoiding cranial misplacement; it appeared to be safe and effective in two observational studies. CONCLUSIONS: There are currently no randomised controlled trials to establish the safety or efficacy of preprocedural and/or real-time intraprocedural ultrasound guidance during PDT compared with the current standard of care. One study supports the use of real-time ultrasound guidance during PDT in preventing cranial tracheostomy tube misplacement. Observational data suggest that preprocedural ultrasound may help prevent vascular complications and that real-time ultrasound guidance during PDT is likely safe, with a high success rate. A prospective randomised controlled trial evaluating its safety and efficacy compared with the traditional landmarkguided technique is required to establish its role in clinical practice.

The role of ultrasound in percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy.

Background: The use of ultrasound to evaluate cervical anatomy and to guide tracheal puncture in real-time has been advocated to improve safety and efficacy of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in intensive care. Objective: To review the potential role, attributed theoretical benefits and supporting literature for ultrasound during PDT. Results: A significant number of mostly observational studies and case series support this modality. Real-time guidance enables clear visualisation of anatomical landmarks and results in a consistently high success and low complication rate, with appropriate positioning of the tracheal puncture. Recognition of unconventional vascular anatomy enables selection of an appropriate alternative puncture site or an elective open surgical approach. Conclusion: Current literature supports that using ultrasound for percutaneous tracheostomy is quick, safe, reliable and offers a plausible advantage over the traditional landmark guided procedure, especially in select patient groups, such as those who are morbidly obese or have difficult to palpate cervical anatomy.