A New Sign of Severe Aortic Regurgitation Detected Through Airflow Analysis in Mechanical Ventilation.

A 72-year-old female with a previous history of aortic valve replacement by biological prosthesis was admitted with progressive heart failure. The clinical course was unfavorable, requiring inotropic support and invasive mechanical ventilation. Auto-triggering of the ventilator from cardiac origin has been previously described, and explained as a consequence of hyperdynamic circulation. In our case, the oscillatory movements due to the aortic regurgitation are transmitted to the airway. Early recognition of this condition can facilitate not only the correction this asynchrony in mechanical ventilation but also should raise the suspicion of aortic regurgitation.