Correlation of venous excess ultrasound score with acute kidney injury in patients with left heart failure

Acute left heart failure is associated with volume overload or venous congestion. Fluid overload leads to venous congestion, thereby increasing venous pressure and theoretically increasing the backpressure and reducing renal blood flow, and since kidneys are encapsulated organs it might make them more sensitive to this effect. Apart from increased mortality, venous congestion can cause end- organ damage, thereby increasing the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), length of stay in ICU, and duration of mechanical ventilation. Clinical signs of fluid overload like peripheral edema and ascites are poor indicators of fluid overload in the ICU setup. In view of lack of reliable peripheral signs of venous congestion, objective determination of the same is the need of the hour to aid key clinical decisions like fluid restriction and diuretic administration.