Transthoracic Bioimpedance Measurements for Heart Failure Detection

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is affecting more than 40 million people worldwide, and is one of the most common causes of hospitalization among the elderly. As such, it imposes high demands on health care systems. HF symptoms are severe, and include shortness of breath, chest discomfort, swelling in lower extremities, and generalized fatigue. Since these symptoms are dominated by shortness of breath from pulmonary edema, the detection of HF is performed by measuring fluid accumulations in lungs. To date several methods have been used for heart failure detection, but the predictive accuracy of such methods is marginal, often made in non-timely manner, and expensive. Therefore, there is a need for a reliable, noninvasive, easy to use, inexpensive, and accurate device. To this end, transthoracic bioimpedance (TBI) has risen as such approach, with promising results in detection of intrathoracic volume retention. The theory behind TBI measurements of fluid accumulations in the lungs will be presented, as well as the results obtained on healthy participants and HF patients in controlled and clinical settings respectively.