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Echocardiography in the Critical Care Unit

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Case-Based Textbook of Echocardiography

Abstract

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has been incorporated effectively into patient care in 90% of critically ill patients. However, despite its advantages in terms of its noninvasive nature, the quality of the images may be insufficient-particularly in chest traumas and intrathoracic surgery. That is why transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has replaced TTE in the intensive care unit (ICU), especially in patients with an endotracheal tube. Even now, there is a broad range of echo applications available to ICU physicians to enhance and improve their care of critically ill patients, with many new applications on their way.

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Abbreviations

CO:

Cardiac output

CPR:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

EF:

Ejection fraction

ICU:

Intensive care unit

LV:

Left ventricular

LVED:

Left ventricular end-diastolic

LVES:

Left ventricular end-systolic

LVOT:

Left ventricular outflow tract

PTE:

Pulmonary thromboembolism

RV:

Right ventricular

RVOT:

Right ventricular outflow tract

SAM:

Systolic anterior motion

SV:

Stroke volume

TEE:

Transesophageal echocardiography

TTE:

Transthoracic echocardiography

VTI:

Velocity time integral

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(related to Fig. 32.2): Large circumferential pericardial effusion and classic RV free wall diastolic collapse (AVI 3591 kb)

(related to Fig. 32.4): TEE from an Type A extended acute aortic dissection that transferred directly to the operating room (WMV 6374 kb)

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Sadeghpour, A., Alizadehasl, A. (2018). Echocardiography in the Critical Care Unit. In: Sadeghpour, A., Alizadehasl, A. (eds) Case-Based Textbook of Echocardiography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67691-3_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67691-3_32

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