Volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department

Abstract Background Inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter measurement using ultrasound for volume status assessment has shown satisfactory results and is being adopted in Emergency and critical care settings. IVC diameter can vary depending on the cardiac function, respiratory efforts, intraabdominal pr...

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Main Authors: Neeraja A Nair, Freston Marc Sirur, Vimal Krishnan S
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2024-11-01
Series:International Journal of Emergency Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-024-00762-7
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author Neeraja A Nair
Freston Marc Sirur
Vimal Krishnan S
author_facet Neeraja A Nair
Freston Marc Sirur
Vimal Krishnan S
author_sort Neeraja A Nair
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter measurement using ultrasound for volume status assessment has shown satisfactory results and is being adopted in Emergency and critical care settings. IVC diameter can vary depending on the cardiac function, respiratory efforts, intraabdominal pressure, and mechanical ventilation. Due to these factors, IVC measurement cannot be considered a stand-alone technique appropriate for every patient. The femoral vein (FV), a more superficial vein than IVC, can be considered an alternative method for assessing fluid responsiveness in patients presenting to the Emergency department. It is easily accessible and can be used in scenarios where IVC cannot be visualized or reliable. Methods This was a single-center diagnostic study where 85 patients who presented to the ED with chest pain were enrolled prospectively. IVC and femoral vein collapsibility indices, stroke volume, and cardiac output are measured using an ultrasound machine. The measurements were repeated after a passive leg-raising test. These values were compared with each other to assess an intra-class correlation between IVC and femoral vein collapsibility indices. We have also evaluated the relationship between the collapsibility indices of both veins and cardiac output. Discussion & limitations Our findings show an insufficient correlation between IVC and FV collapsibility indices. However, both vein diameters significantly increased after passive leg raising (PLR), indicating a response to fluid challenge. Post-PLR reduced IVC, and FV collapsibility index (CI) suggests intravascular volume expansion after a fluid challenge, also reflected in the hemodynamic parameters. Our study was conducted only in a subset of relatively stable patients. The applicability of the study in different subsets of patients presenting to ED is still questionable. Conclusion We conclude that femoral vein indices may not be an accurate alternative for volume assessment in the chosen cohort of patients. IVC and FV metrics do not correlate and may not be accurate for volume responsiveness. We may need to explore the utility of FV and its indices in a larger population in multiple settings for a better understanding of its role in volume assessment and responsiveness. Trial registration (EC/NEW/INST/2021/1707). Registered 03 January 2023.
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spelling doaj-art-a0ffb6c6bfd8426aa13d9937a8d3542a2024-12-01T12:08:24ZengBMCInternational Journal of Emergency Medicine1865-13802024-11-011711710.1186/s12245-024-00762-7Volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency departmentNeeraja A Nair0Freston Marc Sirur1Vimal Krishnan S2Department of Emergency Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), ManipalDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), ManipalDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), ManipalAbstract Background Inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter measurement using ultrasound for volume status assessment has shown satisfactory results and is being adopted in Emergency and critical care settings. IVC diameter can vary depending on the cardiac function, respiratory efforts, intraabdominal pressure, and mechanical ventilation. Due to these factors, IVC measurement cannot be considered a stand-alone technique appropriate for every patient. The femoral vein (FV), a more superficial vein than IVC, can be considered an alternative method for assessing fluid responsiveness in patients presenting to the Emergency department. It is easily accessible and can be used in scenarios where IVC cannot be visualized or reliable. Methods This was a single-center diagnostic study where 85 patients who presented to the ED with chest pain were enrolled prospectively. IVC and femoral vein collapsibility indices, stroke volume, and cardiac output are measured using an ultrasound machine. The measurements were repeated after a passive leg-raising test. These values were compared with each other to assess an intra-class correlation between IVC and femoral vein collapsibility indices. We have also evaluated the relationship between the collapsibility indices of both veins and cardiac output. Discussion & limitations Our findings show an insufficient correlation between IVC and FV collapsibility indices. However, both vein diameters significantly increased after passive leg raising (PLR), indicating a response to fluid challenge. Post-PLR reduced IVC, and FV collapsibility index (CI) suggests intravascular volume expansion after a fluid challenge, also reflected in the hemodynamic parameters. Our study was conducted only in a subset of relatively stable patients. The applicability of the study in different subsets of patients presenting to ED is still questionable. Conclusion We conclude that femoral vein indices may not be an accurate alternative for volume assessment in the chosen cohort of patients. IVC and FV metrics do not correlate and may not be accurate for volume responsiveness. We may need to explore the utility of FV and its indices in a larger population in multiple settings for a better understanding of its role in volume assessment and responsiveness. Trial registration (EC/NEW/INST/2021/1707). Registered 03 January 2023.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-024-00762-7POCUS (point of Care Ultrasound)Femoral vein Collapsibility IndexVolume assessmentInferior Vena CavaVolume responsivenessEmergency Department.
spellingShingle Neeraja A Nair
Freston Marc Sirur
Vimal Krishnan S
Volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department
International Journal of Emergency Medicine
POCUS (point of Care Ultrasound)
Femoral vein Collapsibility Index
Volume assessment
Inferior Vena Cava
Volume responsiveness
Emergency Department.
title Volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department
title_full Volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department
title_fullStr Volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department
title_full_unstemmed Volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department
title_short Volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department
title_sort volume assessment comparing femoral vein and inferior vena cava among chest pain patients presenting to the emergency department
topic POCUS (point of Care Ultrasound)
Femoral vein Collapsibility Index
Volume assessment
Inferior Vena Cava
Volume responsiveness
Emergency Department.
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-024-00762-7
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