Urgent Right Heart Catheterization in Cardiogenic Shock: Let us Spread this Idea

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is defined by the presence of signs and symptoms of low tissue perfusion associated with systolic blood pressure (BP) < 90mmHg, according to the European Society of Cardiology. Within the different types of shock - cardiogenic, distributive, hypovolemic, and mixed - CS is responsible for up to 66% of shock cases in intensive care units and occurs due to poor perfusion secondary to low cardiac output. The most prevalent etiology is ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI); other causes include acute chronic heart failure, valvular diseases, and arrhythmias. 1,2 In-hospital mortality from CS associated with STEMI can reach 36% in cases not associated with a heart attack, 31%. Furthermore, effective treatment is related to understanding the disease mechanism and classifying the patient into phenotypes, which will impact the implemented therapy.