Utility of Combined Echocardiography and Lung Ultrasound for Coronavirus Disease-19 Intensive Care Unit Patients: Case Series

Marijan Bosevski; Filip Janusevski; Kosta Kapsarov

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2020.5382

Authors

Marijan Bosevski University Cardiology Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Filip Janusevski University Cardiology Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Kosta Kapsarov University Clinic for Infective Diseases, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2020.5382

Keywords:

Echocardiography, Lung ultrasound, Coronavirus disease-19

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A little evidence existed for ultrasound evaluation of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 patients.

AIM: We aimed to present combined transthoracic echocardiography and lung ultrasound in 17 COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS: Patients were on age 57 + 14 years, 9 on mechanical ventilation and 8 on oxygen support, with average 1.2 comorbidities per patient. Ultrasound was performed by a single experienced sonographer and an assistant.

RESULTS: Impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) was found in 2 patients (pts) of them (11.8%) and diastolic dysfunction in 7 (41.2%), which was significantly higher in those ones with comorbidities. In 2 pts (11.8%), the presence of pulmonary hypertension with enlarged right ventricle was found. Later one pulmonary thromboembolism was confirmed in them with computed tomography angio. B-lines were found in 8 pts (47.1%), finding that was significantly higher in pts on mechanical ventilation, but not in relation with decreased EF. In one pt (0.6%), pleural effusion was found, but in none of them lung consolidation.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that combined echocardiography and lung ultrasound in COVID-19 ICU pts have been an accurate method for diagnosing right and left ventricular function and should be a useful one for guiding of their treatment and prognosis.

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