Correlation of left atrial function and pulmonary edema in patients with left heart failure on cardiopulmonary ultrasonography

Patients with heart failure with pulmonary edema may have declining left atrial (LA) function. Left atrial strain (LAS) imaging enables quantitative assessment of LA function. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the LA function and pulmonary edema in patients with heart failure evaluated by cardiopulmonary ultrasonography. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography for LAS was performed in 115 consecutive patients with congestive heart failure. A semiquantitative B-lines score of pleural effusions was derived by pulmonary ultrasound almost at the same time by combined cardiopulmonary ultrasound. Compared with those who did not have pulmonary edema, patients with pulmonary edema had lower LAS (LAS , 21.5 ± 4.9% vs. 9.2 ± 3.7% [