Echocardiographic Sign of Lung Problems
Author Information
Author(s): Andreas Karabinis, Theodosios Saranteas, Dimitrios Karakitsos, Daniel Lichtenstein, John Poularas, Clifford Yang, Christodoulos Stefanadis
Primary Institution: General Hospital of Athens
Hypothesis
Can echocardiographic artifacts indicate lung atelectasis and/or pleural effusion in mechanically ventilated patients?
Conclusion
Lung atelectasis and/or pleural effusion can create a mirror image artifact in the heart of mechanically ventilated patients.
Supporting Evidence
- The artifact was observed in 17 out of 205 patients (8.29%).
- The mean duration of hospitalization was 35 days.
- The artifact was documented only in the apical views of echocardiography.
- Twelve out of 17 patients with the artifact died.
Takeaway
Sometimes, when doctors use ultrasound to look at the heart, they can see things that aren't really there because of problems in the lungs nearby.
Methodology
The study involved 205 mechanically ventilated patients who underwent lung and transthoracic echography to identify artifacts.
Potential Biases
No significant bias risks were reported.
Limitations
The study was observational and focused mainly on imaging findings.
Participant Demographics
The cohort included 120 males and 85 females, with a mean age of 45.4 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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