Pneumocardium Captured on Bedside Transesophageal Echocardiography—An Unreported Complication of Needle Thoracostomy

Pneumocardium Captured on Bedside Transesophageal Echocardiography—An Unreported Complication of Needle Thoracostomy

We describe a case of left-sided pneumocardium, identified by transesophageal echocardiography, following needle thoracostomy in a tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). Bilateral needle thoracostomy was performed during a cardiac arrest. Intracardiac arrest echocardiography demonstrated pneumocardium...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joyce Lam, Martin Cieslak, Robert T. Arntfield
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-12-01
Series:Journal of Medical Ultrasound
Subjects:
needle thoracostomy
pneumothorax
transesophageal echocardiography
trauma
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929644116300558
Description
Summary:We describe a case of left-sided pneumocardium, identified by transesophageal echocardiography, following needle thoracostomy in a tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). Bilateral needle thoracostomy was performed during a cardiac arrest. Intracardiac arrest echocardiography demonstrated pneumocardium immediately following the procedure, with air in the left atrium (LA) and left ventricle (LV). This previously unreported consequence of needle decompression contributes to a growing body of literature that questions the value of this intervention.
ISSN:0929-6441

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