Bioimpedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) for Diagnosis and Management of Acute Heart Failure

Acute heart failure (AHF) still represents one of the major reasons for hospitalization. AHF patients present with an increase in total body water (TBW) content, which is related to the disease severity. For emergency department physicians, a rapid assessment of the TBW can help in the diagnosis and management of these patients. Indeed, it is very important to identify patients with fluid overload to start prompt and adequate treatment. Furthermore, an exact identification of TBW and the monitoring of its variation from admission to discharge can help the physician to verify the efficacy of therapies and the patient’s response. Different techniques already exist to evaluate patient fluid conditions, but new tools are emerging. Bioimpedance vector analysis allows better and more precise quantification of total body fluid contents. This article aims to describe the usefulness of BIVA in the management of AHF patients in the emergency department.