Echocardiography in the use of noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring

Invasive pulmonary artery catheter measurements are the standard method for assessment of hemodynamic evaluation at the present time. However, this invasive approach is associated with an increase in patient morbidity and without evidence of a reduction in mortality. Doppler echocardiography is a noninvasive method that provides robust data regarding patients' hemodynamic indices. Several parameters are available for noninvasive hemodynamic evaluation using Doppler echocardiography. Most of these measurements are easily obtained and provide a safe alternative to invasive hemodynamic assessment. As Doppler echocardiography is able to provide additional valuable information, such as cardiac systolic and diastolic function, and the presence of pericardial and pleural effusions, which can play a significant role in the patients' hemodynamic status, using this noninvasive modality in the daily practice for hemodynamic assessment can prove an alternative to invasive measures in selected patients as well as a complementary tool for those still in need of invasive monitoring.