Ochagavía A, Zapata L, Carrillo A, Rodríguez A, Guerrero M, Ayuela J M
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital de Sabadell, CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Institut Universitari Parc Tauli, UAB, Sabadell, Barcelona, España.
Med Intensiva. 2012 Jun-Jul;36(5):365-74. doi: 10.1016/j.medin.2012.02.010. Epub 2012 Apr 5.
Cardiovascular failure is a common disorder in critical care medicine. When admitted to the ICU, patients with hemodynamic deterioration should be examined rapidly to correctly assess the main determinants of cardiovascular function (preload, afterload and contractility). This review examines the assessment of contractility and afterload involving the combined use of several hemodynamic monitors, which allows different approaches to the same problem, with a view to improving the efficiency of management and treatment in critically ill patients.
