Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2001
Clinical TrialEchocardiography-guided pericardiocentesis with probe-mounted needle: report of 53 cases.
Fifty-three pericardiocentesis procedures were performed on 48 patients from 1993 to 2000 at our coronary care unit. Percutaneous puncture (anterior thoracic in 43 cases, subxiphoid in 10 cases) was performed at the site closest to the exploring probe, where the largest amount of fluid was detected. A needle carrier supported by a bracket with two fixed angulations was mounted on the probe. ⋯ No puncture of cardiac walls ever occurred in this series of patients. No major complications occurred; the incidence of minor sequelae was lower than the incidence reported by other studies on pericardiocentesis without continuous visualization. Our technique appears to be safe and easy to perform even in the presence of minimal amounts of pericardial fluid.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Aug 2001
Four-year prospective study of pulmonary venous thrombosis after lung transplantation.
The objective of this study was to prospectively assess pulmonary venous anastomosis by transesophageal echocardiography after lung transplantation. Thrombus formation at the pulmonary venous anastomotic site after lung transplantation may have catastrophic consequences, including allograft failure and stroke. Eighty-seven consecutive adult lung transplant recipients underwent transesophageal echocardiography within 48 hours after surgery. ⋯ Transesophageal echocardiography is a valuable tool for detecting abnormalities of the pulmonary venous anastomosis. Thrombus size and flow velocity at the anastomotic site may guide prognosis and clinical management. Complications of the pulmonary venous anastomosis are in part technical in nature.