Critical Care
The Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care publishes articles directed to those who treat patients in the ICU, CCU and SICU including chest physicians, surgeons, pediatricians, pharmacists/pharmacologists, anesthesiologists, critical care nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Manuscripts may be either basic or clinical original investigations or review articles. Potential authors of review articles are encouraged to contact the editors before submission, however, unsolicited review articles will be considered.
Ultrasound for Critical Care Physicians: Right Diagnosis, Wrong Place
The patient was a 76 year old man, with a history of a prosthetic aortic valve (aortic stenosis) and chronic myelogenous leukemia. He presented with fever and cough, and was found to have pneumonia with Klebsiella pneumonia cultured from a BAL. However, he also had persistent Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia and a new 3/6 diastolic murmur.
An ultrasound of the heart was performed (Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1. Parasternal long axis view of the heart.
Figure 2. Four chamber view of the heart.
Which of the following is the likely diagnosis?
- Aortic dissection
- Aortic valve endocarditis
- Displacement of the aortic valve
- Mitral valve endocarditis
- Tricuspid endocarditis
Reference as: Raschke RA. Ultrasound for critical care physicians: right diagnosis, wrong place. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2013;7(4):232-5. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc123-13 PDF