AB001. Sepsis and the heart: an echocardiographic perspective

Abstract: Sepsis remains a huge medical challenge with many complexities being unraveled slowly. Worldwide, sepsis represents one of the leading causes death and especially in the developing and underdeveloped countries. In the intensive care units, it is not only a medical challenge, it adds to the cost of healthcare delivery considerably. Cardiac and circulatory consequences of sepsis are well known and need to be addressed as a priority in the critically ill patients. Echocardiography is a great tool to assist in every stage of sepsis management. Septic cardiomyopathy is a well-known entity and may constitute a heart that is hyper dynamic or hypokinetic, often related to fluid resuscitation status. In addition to left and/or right ventricular systolic dysfunction, frequently there is accompanying diastolic dysfunction that may also exist in isolation in sepsis. Patterns of cardiac response are emerging and need to be recognized in both systolic and diastolic function. These patterns of dysfunction may also predict the outcome. Different forms of sepsis might exhibit different cardiac pathology, and will be a good research subject for future. In the management of sepsis proper fluid resuscitation plays a critical role and echocardiography has much to contribute towards a better outcome in these patients.

Keywords: Sepsis; heart; echocardiography