Lithuanian Echocardiography Study of Dyspnea in Acute Settings

Besides routine clinical, laboratory and instrumental evaluation, blood samples will be taken within 4 hours of presentation to the hospital. Plasma samples, stored and frozen at -80°C, will be analyzed at the INSERM UMR942 institute in Paris. Up to 15 novel will be measured during the study: copeptine, proenkephalin, high sensitivity troponin T, troponin I, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal pro-BNP, adrenomedullin, soluble ST2, galectine 3, C-reactive protein, interleukine 6, procalcitonin, cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin.

A standard echocardiography as well as examination focused on right ventricle (RV) will be performed in a period of 48 hours of admission. Novel qualitative and quantitative parameters of right ventricle function and structure will be measured. These include RV diameter at base and midlevel, a measure of RV fractional area change (FAC), tissue doppler imaging derived tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity wave (S'), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), velocity and gradient of tricuspid regurgitation, estimated systolic RV and RA pressure, RV wall strain and strain rate.