title: Fatal ventricular arrhythmia as a complication of transesophageal echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a case of serious ventricular arrhythmia during transesophageal echocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 58-year-old woman with previous mitral and tricuspid valve replacement and permanent pacemaker implantation suffered from recurrent fever and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed as part of the assessment for infective endocarditis. During this procedure the patient developed sustained ventricular tachycardia and subsequently ventricular flutter. She was successfully resuscitated. Subsequently the procedure was undertaken under general anesthesia with no complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increasing use of TEE in a wider spectrum of patients, many of whom are seriously ill, may result in serious side-effects.
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: Sorel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goland
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimoni
authors.forename: Malka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Attali
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Somin
authors.forename: Orly
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Azoulai
authors.forename: Avraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caspi
authors.forename: Stephen D H
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Malnick
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012151:Resuscitation; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy