Portal and Splenic Venous Pulsatility in Postoperative Critically Ill Patients

Venous congestion is common in critically ill postoperative patients and may be associated with adverse outcomes. Doppler ultrasound assessment of venous flow patterns, including portal venous pulsatility, is increasingly used to evaluate systemic venous congestion. This prospective observational study aims to determine the correlation between portal venous pulsatility and splenic venous pulsatility measured by Doppler ultrasound in adult patients admitted to a postoperative intensive care unit. The study will evaluate whether splenic venous pulsatility may provide additional information for the assessment of venous congestion. Ultrasound examinations will be performed in addition to standard clinical care, without any therapeutic intervention or modification of patient management.