Pivotal role of bedside Doppler echocardiography in the assessment of patients with acute heart failure and mitral regurgitation

Abstract

Patients presenting with mitral regurgitation and acute heart failure remain a challenge for the clinicians. Bedside echocardiography ascertains the functional or primary nature of mitral regurgitation, thereby allowing to focus therapy on the left ventricle and mitral valve apparatus in patients with functional mitral regurgitation and to hasten mitral valve repair or replacement when acute heart failure results from primary mitral regurgitation. This short article reviews the evaluation by bedside echocardiography to guide management of these patients.