Right Heart Function During and After Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults

Background: New-onset or worsening heart failure is the most common extra-pulmonary complication of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) during the first 30 days after diagnosis. Methods: We evaluated the changes in the right ventricular function amongst adult CAP survivors from the time of acute infection to its resolution. We performed comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examinations to assess right heart function during the acute illness and the convalescent period (four to six weeks after hospital discharge). Results: Twenty-six patients underwent acute measurements, of which convalescent measurements were completed in 19 subjects. There was no significant change in any of the right heart function parameters from the acute to convalescent stage of CAP. Conclusions: Our results suggest that right ventricular function does not meaningfully change in the transition from the acute to convalescent stage of CAP in non-critically ill adult CAP survivors.