A-lines and B-lines in patients with acute heart failure. European heart journal. Acute cardiovascular care Johannessen, Ø., Claggett, B., Lewis, E. F., Groarke, J. D., Swamy, V., Lindner, M., Solomon, S. D., Platz, E. 2021; 10 (8): 909-917

Abstract

Lung ultrasound (LUS) relies on detecting artefacts, including A-lines and B-lines, when assessing dyspnoeic patients. A-lines are horizontal artefacts and characterize normal lung, whereas multiple vertical B-lines are associated with increased lung density. We sought to assess the prevalence of A-lines and B-lines in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) and examine their clinical correlates and their relationship with outcomes.In a prospective cohort study of adults with AHF, eight-zone LUS and echocardiography were performed early during the hospitalization and pre-discharge at an imaging depth of 18?cm. A- and B-lines were analysed separately off-line, blinded to clinical and outcome data. Of 164 patients [median age 71?years, 61% men, mean ejection fraction (EF) 40%], the sum of A-lines at baseline ranged from 0 to 19 and B-line number from 0 to 36. One hundred and fifty-six patients (95%) had co-existing A-lines and B-lines at baseline. Lower body mass index and lower chest wall thickness were associated with a higher number of A-lines (P trend?

View details for DOI 10.1093/ehjacc/zuab046

View details for PubMedID 34160009