Comparison of Hand-Carried Ultrasound Assessment of the Inferior Vena Cava and N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide for Predicting Readmission After Hospitalization for Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Comparison of Hand-Carried Ultrasound Assessment of the Inferior Vena Cava and N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide for Predicting Readmission After Hospitalization for Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Sascha N. Goonewardena, Anthony Gemignani, Adam Ronan, Samip Vasaiwala, John Blair, J. Matthew Brennan, Dipak P. Shah, Kirk T. Spencer Hand-carried ultrasound (HCU) assessment of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is easy to perform and can estimate right sided filling pressures. Its role in predicting future hospitalizations was evaluated in patients admitted with a heart failure exacerbation and compared to the value of serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) at discharge. During a short-term follow-up, serum sodium, BNP, IVC size and collapsibility were found to be predictors of readmission. This study proposes that bedside evaluation of the IVC diameter and collapsibility, obtained at discharge, may add to the predictive value of pre-discharge BNP. In an accompanying editorial Drs. Kimura and DeMaria highlight the emerging value of HCU in the bedside cardiovascular examination in general and heart failure in particular.