Medicine
Sepsis-Induced Cardiomyopathy and Echocardiographic Assessment
Quick fact
In sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle may appear to contract poorly on an echocardiogram, yet the patient often has a high cardiac output due to low blood vessel resistance—a condition sometimes described as 'hyperdynamic heart failure.'
Why this is interesting
When the body battles a severe infection, the heart can suddenly weaken—so much that it struggles to pump blood. How do doctors spot this hidden danger in the chaos of the ICU?