Do functional status and survival after prolonged intensive care unit stay following cardiac surgery?
Patients who have a prolonged ICU stay following cardiac surgery have high early and late mortalities. However, the functional status of the survivors is satisfactory after 1 year and beyond.
Both LVEDD by cardiac ultrasound and BNP levels can help emergency physicians independently diagnose AHF in the ED. In patients with plasma BNP levels within 100 to 500 pg/mL, cardiac ultrasound can help differentiate heart failure or not.