Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction Is Not Associated With Pulmonary Edema in Septic Patients. A Prospective Observational Cohort Study

Purpose: We aimed to investigate whether left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is associated with pulmonary edema in septic patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in adult septic patients between October 2018 and May 2019. We performed repeated echocardiography and lung ultrasound examinations within the first 7 days after diagnosis of sepsis. We defined LVDD according to the 2016 recommendations of the American Society of Echocardiography and-for sensitivity analysis-according to an algorithm which has been validated in septic patients. We quantified pulmonary edema using the lung ultrasound score (LUSS), counting B-lines in four intercostal spaces.

Results: We included 54 patients. LVDD was present in 51 (42%) of 122 echocardiography examinations. The mean (±SD) LUSS was 11 ± 6. There was no clinically meaningful association of LVDD with LUSS (B = 0.55 [95%CI: -1.38; 2.47]; p = 0.571). Pneumonia was significantly associated with higher LUSS (B = 4.42 [95%CI: 0.38; 8.5]; p = 0.033).

Conclusion: The lack of a clinically meaningful association of LVDD with LUSS suggests that LVDD is not a major contributor to pulmonary edema in septic patients.

Trial Registration: NCT03768752, ClinicalTrials.gov, November 30th, 2018 - retrospectively registered.