Aim: We sought to verify which changes in right ventricular pressures occur before acute heart failure (HF) in patients with advanced systolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. In patients with chronic HF, continuous hemodynamic monitoring by implantable devices may detect increases in pulmonary pressures before the onset of symptoms.
Methods: A device which allowed monitoring of right ventricular systolic (RVSP) and diastolic pressure (RVDP) and an estimate of pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (ePAD) was implanted in 10 patients with advanced LV systolic dysfunction and frequent cardiovascular hospitalizations [mean age 56.8 years; New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes IIIb-IV; LV ejection fraction at echocardiography 21 +/- 2%].
Results: During a follow-up period of 15 +/- 12 months, 18 hospitalizations due to acute HF were recorded; 10 episodes were characterized by symptoms due to low-cardiac output (LCO) and eight episodes were characterized by symptoms due to pulmonary congestion. RVSP and ePAD increased before six hospitalizations and decreased before three episodes; RVDP increased before 10 hospitalizations and decreased before one. The extent of RVDP increase was 16 +/- 24% before pulmonary congestion episodes and 29 +/- 32% before LCO episodes.
Conclusion: An increase in RVDP was the most frequent hemodynamic change detected by the implantable hemodynamic monitor before hospitalizations due to acute HF in patients having advanced systolic LV dysfunction.