Is This AI an Emergency

Abstract

Aortic insufficiency (AI) is frequently encountered in echocardiography; regardless of its cause (e.g., valvular, aortic root pathology, etc.), accurate quantification of AI severity is essential for prognostication and treatment planning. Special attention should be paid to parameters that suggest hemodynamically significant AI with increased LV end-diastolic pressure; these may be signs of impending hemodynamic collapse and may necessitate prompt intervention. While often severity and hemodynamic significance go hand in hand, there can be physiologic reasons or technical reasons for the AI to appear less than severe, yet with signs of significant hemodynamic consequences. The importance of identifying these signs cannot be overemphasized; timely intervention may be lifesaving and echocardiographic findings may precede clinical deterioration.