Pulmonary Hypertension, Pulmonary Embolism and ARDS

This chapter focuses on the clinical application of echocardiography in patients with right ventricular dysfunction. Several markers of right ventricular size, function and pressure will be highlighted in this chapter using clinical scenarios pertinent to acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute pulmonary embolism, and acute and chronic pulmonary hypertension. Readers will appreciate key physiologic assumptions necessary for properly assessing the RV with echocardiography. In addition, pertinent echocardiographic findings in both the diagnostic and therapeutic phase of these diseases will be highlighted.