American heart journal
-
American heart journal · May 1994
Transesophageal echocardiography in critically ill patients: feasibility, safety, and impact on management.
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is being used with increasing frequency in critically ill patients in whom transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is often unsatisfactory in providing much needed information. We reviewed the indications, feasibility, and clinical impact of TEE in the intensive care setting at our institution. TEE was performed in 77 critically ill patients (age range 19 to 83 years) in whom TTE was inadequate or inconclusive. ⋯ In these patients (n = 37), the TEE findings led to a change in medical management in 19% and to surgical intervention in 29%. While TTE remains the first line of diagnostic ultrasound and Doppler in critically ill patients, it can be technically difficult or inconclusive. In this setting, TEE provides a safe and powerful diagnostic tool that can help guide patient management.