title: [Safety and usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the acute phase of myocardial infarction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The usefulness and safety of transesophageal echocardiography have been assessed in other studies but there is no report in which these factors have been evaluated in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. Patients and method. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed 56 times in 55 patients in the first week after a myocardial infarction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study was completed in 54 of 56 patients. The indications were a transthoracic acoustic window that did not provide an accurate diagnosis in 13 (23.2%), diagnosis of mechanical complications and severity assessment of mitral regurgitation in 35 (62.5%), exclusion of aortic dissection in 4 (7.1%), assessment of the severity of aortic stenosis in 1 (1.8%), exclusion of the presence of atrial thrombus in 1 (1.8%), evaluation of the left ventricular outflow tract gradient in 1 (1.8%), and evaluation of the presence of a left ventricular thrombus in 1 patient (1.8%). Two patients (3.6%) died while the study was being made, the first one 10 minutes after finishing the echocardiogram due to progression of a partial rupture of the papillary muscle and the second due to left ventricle free wall rupture. In both patients, the indication for transesophageal echography was the need for proper evaluation of a post-Acute Myocardial Infarction mechanical complication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transesophageal echocardiography is a very useful technique for evaluating patients during the acute phase of myocardial infarction but further studies are needed to establish its safety in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecocardiografía. Servicio de Cardiología. Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón. Madrid. España.
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez de Isla
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: García Fernández
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bermejo
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López de Sá
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: López Sendón
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiménez Candil
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Díaz Castro
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012449:Safety