The prognostic value of lung ultrasound in patients with heart failure
Xu Zhengrong
Zhang Yao
Zhang Nawen
Abstract：Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of the number of B lines (also call Ultrasound Lung Comets, ULCs) at discharge to predict rehospitalization or death for patients with heart failure (HF) in short-term. Methods Serial clinical and ultrasound assessments were performed on 136 HF patients within 24 h of admission (T1), the second day in hospital (T2) and within 24 h of discharge (T3).The assessments included NT - proBNP, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the number of B lines. Results The mean NT-proBNP decreased from 1908.95±684.63 Pg/ml (T1) to 506.71±339.56 pg/ml(T3), and the ULCs declined from 19±5 (T1) to 9±3 (T3) simultaneously. During 3 months follow-up, 27 patients were rehospitalized for decompensated HF and 1 died for cardiac arrest. ROC curve analysis showed that ULCs ≥10 were the best cutoff point with a sensitivity of 0.714 and a specificity of 0.685. Kaplan-Meier analysis suggests event-free survival was highest in patients with less B-lines (<10) and lowest in patients with more B-lines (≥10) (log rank χ2=16.67, P<0.001). Conclusion Lung ultrasound can reflect the changes of pulmonary edema in real time, and the number of B-lines at discharge is a strong predictor of rehospitalization or death in short-term for patients with HF.
Keywords：Lung ultrasoundB-linesUltrasound lung cometsHeart failure
Publication Date：2018-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 324-326,330 )