Despite early recanalization of an occluded infarct artery, tissue reperfusion remains impaired in more than one-third of the acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients owing to a process of reperfusion injury. The role of systemic inflammation in triggering this phenomenon is unknown. Proinflammatory factors (hs-CRP, TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory mediators (IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-10) were measured in 65 patients during the acute phase of a myocardial infarction as well as in 11 healthy control subjects. Myocardial reperfusion injury was defined as the presence of persistent ST-segment elevation despite successful coronary intervention (≥ 50% of the initial value) and was observed in 28 patients. Systemic proinflammatory mediators (particularly hs-CRP and leukocytes) were higher in AMI patients compared to control subjects. Within the group of AMI patients, only serum TNF-α differed significantly between patients with versus without reperfusion injury: a median value of 25 versus 13 pg/mL was observed, respectively. Logistic regression analysis identified a high level of TNF-α as the most important independent determinant of reperfusion injury (P = .001), beyond total ischemic time (P = .01) and extent of jeopardized myocardium (P = .08). There was no correlation between the TNF-α level and the total ischemic time (P = .8) or the extent of jeopardized myocardium (P = .6). Systemic inflammation, in particular high levels of TNF-α, is strongly associated with the occurrence of reperfusion injury after successful recanalization. Our findings suggest that TNF-α is involved in the triggering and/or amplification of local inflammatory responses related to ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Cardiac ultrasonography has become an indispensible tool in the management of hemodynamically unstable critically ill patients. Some consider it as the modern stethoscope. Echocardiography is non-invasive and safe while the modern portable devices allow to be used at the bedside in order to provide fast, specific and vital information regarding the hemodynamic status, as well as the function, structure and anatomy of the heart. In this review, we will give an overview of cardiac function in general followed by an assessment of left ventricular function using echocardiography with calculation of cardiac output, left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening, fractional area contraction, M mode EF, 2D planimetry and 3D volumetry. We will briefly discuss mitral annulus post systolic excursion (MAPSE), calculation of dP/dt, speckle tracking or eyeballing to estimate EF for the experienced user. In a following section, we will discuss how to assess cardiac preload and diastolic function in 4 simple steps. The first step is the assessment of systolic function. The next step assesses the left atrium. The third step evaluates the diastolic flow patterns and E/e' ratio. The final step integrates the information of the previous steps. Echocardiography is also the perfect tool to evaluate right ventricular function with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tissue Doppler imaging, together with inferior vena cava dimensions and systolic pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular systolic pressure measurement. Finally, methods to assess fluid responsiveness with echocardiography are discussed with the inferior vena cava collapsibility index and the variation on left ventricle outflow tract peak velocity and velocity time integral. Cardiac ultrasonography is an indispensible tool for the critical care physician to assess cardiac preload, afterload and contractile function in hemodynamically unstable patients in order to fine-tune treatment with fluids, inotropes and/or vasopressors.

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Aortic stenosis (AS) causes obstruction of left ventricle outflow. Severe AS is a condition with major haemodynamic implications in patients, scheduled for major surgery or hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU). Basically, AS causes left ventricular outflow obstruction. Especially in critically ill patients, in whom increased cardiac output and oxygen delivery are required (e.g. sepsis, postoperative anaemia), the consequences of unrecognized severe AS may be devasting.A prevalence of 7.6 million cases among adults above 75 years of age in North America and Europe has been reported [1]. With an aging population,