Clinical examination and the Valsalva maneuver in heart failure

Congestion in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is relevant and closely linked to the clinical course. Bedside blood pressure measurement during the Valsalva maneuver (Val) added to clinical examination may improve the assessment of congestion when compared to NT-proBNP levels and left atrial pressure (LAP) estimation by Doppler echocardiography, as surrogate markers of congestion in HFrEF. A clinical examination. LAP and blood tests were performed in 69 HFrEF ambulatory patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <= 40% and sinus rhythm. Framingham Heart Failure Score (HFS) was used to evaluate clinical congestion; Val was classified as normal or abnormal, NT-proBNP was classified as low (< 1000 pg/ml) or high (>= 1000 pg/ml) and the ratio between Doppler early mitral inflow and tissue diastolic velocity was used to estimate LAP and was classified as low (E/e' < 15) or high (E/e' >= 15). A total of 69 patients with HFrEF were included; 27 had a HFS >= 2 and 13 of them had high NT-proBNP. HFS >= 2 had a 62% sensitivity, 70% specificity and a positive likelihood ratio of 2.08 (p=0.01) to detect congestion. When Val was added to clinical examination, the presence of a HFS >= 2 and abnormal Val showed a 100% sensitivity, 64% specificity and a positive likelihood ratio of 2.8 (p = 0.0004). Compared with LAP, the presence of HFS >= 2 and abnormal Val had 86% sensitivity, 54% specificity and a positive likelihood ratio of 1.86 (p = 0.03). In conclusion, an integrated clinical examination with the addition Valsalva maneuver may improve the assessment of congestion in patients with HFrEF.