Transesophageal Echocardiographic Observation of Caval Thrombus Followed by Intraoperative Placement of Inferior Vena Cava Filter for Presumed Pulmonary Embolism During Cesarean Hysterectomy for Placenta Percreta: A Case Report

The role of echocardiography in amniotic fluid embolism: a case series and review of the literature

PURPOSE

Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare, but often fatal condition characterized by sudden hemodynamic instability and coagulopathy occurring during labour or in the early postpartum period. As the mechanisms leading to shock and the cardiovascular effects of AFE are incompletely understood, the purpose of this case series is to describe how AFE presents on echocardiography and review limited reports in the literature.

CLINICAL FEATURES

We describe three cases of AFE at the Jewish General Hospital, a tertiary care centre in Montreal, Canada. All cases met the Clark diagnostic criteria, which comprise 1) sudden cardiorespiratory arrest or both hypotension and respiratory compromise, 2) disseminated intravascular coagulation, 3) clinical onset during labour or within 30 min of delivery of the placenta, and 4) absence of fever. Two patients had a cardiac arrest and the third developed significant hypotension and hypoxia. In all patients, point-of-care echocardiography at the time of shock revealed signs of right ventricular failure including a D-shaped septum, acute pulmonary hypertension, and right ventricular systolic dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

This case series and literature review of AFE emphasizes the importance of echocardiography in elucidating the etiology of maternal shock. The presence of right ventricular failure may be considered an important criterion to diagnose AFE.

Transgastric Abdominal Ultrasonography in Anesthesia and Critical Care: Review and Proposed Approach

The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the operating room and intensive care unit can provide invaluable information on cardiac as well as abdominal organ structures and function. This approach may be particularly useful when the transabdominal ultrasound examination is not possible during intraoperative procedures or for anatomical reasons. This review explores the role of transgastric abdominal ultrasonography (TGAUS) in perioperative medicine. We describe several reported applications using 10 views that can be used in the diagnosis of relevant abdominal conditions associated with organ dysfunction and hemodynamic instability in the operating room and the intensive care unit.

"You only live twice": multidisciplinary management of catastrophic case in placenta Accreta Spectrum-a case report

Background

Placenta percreta is associated with high hemorrhagic risk and can be complicated with fatal thromboembolic events. Involving a multidisciplinary team in the treatment of these patients is mandatory to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Case presentation

This paper reports the case of a 22-year-old patient with placenta percreta who was referred to our tertiary care center for delivery. Few hours after undergoing a successful cesarean hysterectomy, the patient developed a pulmonary embolism and cardiac arrest. A transthoracic echocardiogram done in the intensive care unit (ICU) showed a thrombus in the right ventricle. After cardiac resuscitation, the patient underwent an urgent thoracotomy and a pulmonary artery thrombectomy; many clots were retrieved from the pulmonary artery. After weaning from extracorporeal circulation, an intraoperative transesophageal cardiac ultrasound enabled the medical team to detect a new free-floating thrombus in the right atrium and right ventricle, and consequently to perform an embolectomy and prevent the patient’s death.

Conclusion

This case emphasizes the role of multidisciplinary team in treating high-risk obstetric cases that could be complicated with massive and fatal thromboembolic events. The use of intraoperative transthoracic echocardiography helps in detecting a new thrombus and guides the anesthesiologist in the intra-operative monitoring.