A Review on the Impact of Bedside Echocardiography in Managing Critically Ill Children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Over the past three decades, a variety of non-invasive hemodynamic devices have been developed. However, none of the existing methods, such as transthoracic echocardiography, esophageal Doppler ultrasound, plethysmography, thoracic impedancemetry, or sublingual capnography, fully embody the ideal characteristics of reliability, reproducibility, rapid response, ease of use, comprehensive safety, affordability, and continuous monitoring capacity. Among these, echocardiography stands out as a particularly effective approach, meeting many of these criteria due to its widespread availability, relative ease of use, and critical role in detecting anatomical abnormalities and basic changes in myocardial function. It is frequently used in pediatric intensive care units to assess the structure and function of the heart muscle. The effectiveness of echocardiography in pediatric critical care is also constrained by the need for high-quality imaging and accurate interpretation. Currently, there is a notable lack of literature on the application of echocardiography in pediatric critical care. This study seeks to evaluate the existing scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of echocardiography as a tool for monitoring hemodynamics in pediatric critical care settings.