When it comes to managing critically ill patients, velocity time integral (VTI) can play an essential role in monitoring hemodynamic changes as well as a patient's response to therapies, adding crucial time to treatment options. Use of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to assess patients in shock is used in emergency medicine and critical care settings worldwide.
The VTI echo measurement accompanies the assessment of the surface area of the left ventricle outflow tract (LVOT) and is used to calculate stroke volume—an important determinant of cardiac output. VTI measurements can help to determine whether the heart is pumping enough blood to the end organs and whether or not interventions are working.
Traditionally, VTI was measured manually, taking precious minutes away from administering treatment to a patient. Also, calculating VTI manually can lead to overestimations or interobserver variability. This can have serious implications for the patient's outcomes.
However, the Auto-VTI tool available in GE Healthcare's Venue™ Family of Point of Care Ultrasound systems automatically calculates the VTI echo measurement and cardiac output in a single step, reducing keystrokes by 90% and taking up to 82% less time than manual calculation methods performed by experts.1 In addition, it comes equipped with a quality indicator that assists in image acquisition. A trending function also helps clinicians quickly visualize the trend and determine the next course of action.
In cases of hemorrhagic shock, Bobbia et al. found that Auto VTI was better correlated with cardiac output measured by thermodilution than manual VTI echo measurement.2
Learn more about how Auto-VTI simplifies patient assessments and provides clinicians with the information they need faster to help improve outcomes.
Download the whitepaper here.
References
- GE Healthcare. Venue™ Family Auto Tool for Measuring VTI (DOC2254811). https://www.gehealthcare.com/-/jssmedia/GEHC/US/Files/Articles/pocus/venue-family-auto-vti-whitepaper-pocus-glob-jb02194xx Accessed June 8, 2022.
- Bobbia X, Muller L, Claret PG et al. A new echocardiographic tool for cardiac output evaluation: An experimental study. SHOCK. October 2019:52:4; 449-455. https://journals.lww.com/shockjournal/Fulltext/2019/10000/A_New_Echocardiographic_Tool_for_Cardiac_Output.8.aspx
