Intraoperative Iatrogenic Acute Pericardial Tamponade: Use of Rescue Transesophageal Echocardiography in a Patient Undergoing Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

摘要

Iatrogenic penetrating cardiac injuries are uncommon but potentially fatal. These injuries may contribute to a precipitous decline in cardiac output resulting from rapid accumulation of blood in the pericardium. Prompt recognition and immediate pericardial decompression are required to prevent mortality. A case of unexplained intraoperative cardiovascular collapse after abdominal closure in a patient immediately after a successful orthotopic liver transplant is presented. Rescue transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was used to acutely assess the hemodynamic instability and provide a rapid diagnosis that prevented a fatal outcome.