Echocardiography is still relatively underused in the management of critically ill and hemodynamically unstable patients. There is a definite trend for favoring echocardiography over invasive assessment in intensive care units, however, clear guidelines are lacking. The author's experience over the last few years reinforced the importance of a book covering this topic. The basis for the creation this book was the fruit of teaching sessions and ward rounds during which the interest and receptiveness for this topic were obvious.