title: The role of transesophageal echocardiography in critical care: UCSF experience.
abstract: The applications of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) now encompass the arena of critical care. We reviewed the indications, findings, and outcome of TEE in the critical care setting in a tertiary care hospital and report our experience. Eighty-three transesophageal echocardiograms were performed in 69 critically ill patients for the following indications: endocarditis (43%), embolic source (13%), hypotension (10%), mitral regurgitation (10%), left ventricular function (6%), aortic dissection (4%), prosthetic valve dissection (4%), and other (10%). Findings were unexpected in 21 of 83 studies and led to a change in management in 17%. On the basis of the results of TEE, 22% of patients had further evaluation by a more invasive technique, and 19% of patients had surgical intervention without further study. No significant complications attributable to TEE were noted. We conclude that TEE is a safe and useful diagnostic technique with fairly broad applications in the critical care setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Schiller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003422:Critical Care; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D004617:Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged