Value of point-of-care ultrasound in the early identification of left ventricular dysfunction and prognostic assessment in cancer patients complicated by sepsis.

Background: Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SIMD) significantly contributes to the elevated mortality observed in cancer patients. While point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as a crucial tool for hemodynamic evaluation, its prognostic utility in this specific vulnerable population remains underexplored. This study aimed to assess left ventricular (LV) function using POCUS and determine its prognostic value in cancer patients complicated by sepsis. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we enrolled 75 adult cancer patients complicated by sepsis admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit between July 2023 and January 2025. Within 24 hours of sepsis diagnosis, clinical severity scores (SOFA, APACHE II), cardiac biomarkers, and comprehensive POCUS parameters (including LVEF and early diastolic tissue velocity, e') were recorded. The primary outcome was 28-day survival. Independent predictors were identified using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression, and prognostic performance was evaluated via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Patients presenting with LV dysfunction (LVEF < 50%) exhibited a significantly higher 28-day mortality rate ( Conclusions: Our preliminary findings suggest a potential association between lower POCUS-derived e' and worse 28-day survival in cancer patients complicated by sepsis. While early e' measurement may help identify high-risk patients, the current study does not establish a robust prognostic model to guide treatment decisions. These hypothesis-generating results warrant further validation in larger prospective cohorts.