Venous congestion in critical care: combining VExUS, lung ultrasound, and echocardiography.

Venous congestion is an important pathophysiological mechanism impacting organ function in critically ill patients. However, congestion physiology is complex, can affect multiple organ systems, and is subject to change rapidly over time. Contemporary multimodal assessment integrates both traditional approaches and emerging technologies to refine our understanding and improve clinical evaluation of this dynamic process. In this review, we explore how combining various ultrasound assessments can enhance the evaluation of congestion in critically ill patients. Topics include diastolic function evaluation with echocardiography, the Venous Excess Ultrasound (VExUS) assessment, and lung ultrasound.