Cardiopulmonary resuscitation after thoracic surgery: echocardiographic observations.
We report echocardiographic observations during external chest compression in a patient with marked abnormalities in thoracic anatomy following emergency surgery of aortic arch aneurysm. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated direct right ventricular, aortic and left atrial compression, only minimal left ventricular compression and an open mitral valve during closed chest heart massage. Colour flow doppler demonstrated forward blood flow across the mitral valve and along the left ventricular outflow tract during the compression phase. Echocardiographic findings indicate that factors apart from simple cardiac pump mechanism contributed to blood flow during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in this postoperative patient after a major thoracic surgical intervention.
Department of Anaesthesia, University of Innsbruck School of Medicine, Austria.
P
P
Mair
W
W
Furtwaengler
M
M
Baubin
J
J
Berger
G
G
Kroesen
D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004630:Emergencies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006336:Heart Massage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*