Project description:Graphical abstract Highlights • Cardiac myxomas can cause cardiac, embolic, and/or constitutional symptoms.• POCUS augments emergency care and assists in clinical decision-making.• Multimodality imaging can help discern CMs from thrombi and other tumors.
Project description:PurposeTo prospectively evaluate the prevalence of the embolization of the spleen in patients with definite left-sided infective endocarditis (IE) using a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).MethodsFrom March 2012 through September 2013, 18 consecutive patients (9 females and 9 males, aged 21-83 years) evaluated at our hospital and with definite left-sided IE according to the revised Duke criteria were enrolled. All of the patients gave informed written consent and the study was performed in conformity with the ethical guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. All of the patients were submitted to a CEUS of the spleen within 10 days after the definite diagnosis of IE. For the CEUS, a blood pool second-generation contrast agent and an ultrasound machine with a contrast harmonic imaging technology were used.ResultsThe splenic CEUS showed infarctions in 11 patients (61 %) and resulted positive in the 2 patients with negative echocardiography.ConclusionsIn this study, CEUS of the spleen, a repeatable and low-cost imaging technique, easily allowed the bedside detection of asymptomatic and even tiny infarctions and showed a high rate of embolization in patients with definite left-sided IE. Therefore, in the setting of IE (possible or definite), CEUS of the spleen has the potential to better define or accelerate the diagnosis itself.
Project description:A 49-year-old male presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and generalized weakness. The physical examination was positive for right upper quadrant tenderness and positive Murphy's sign. Point-of-care biliary ultrasound revealed signs of emphysematous cholecystitis. Emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare biliary pathology with a high mortality rate. It differs from acute cholecystitis is many ways. It has unique ultrasound characteristics. This case highlights the use of point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose a rare biliary condition.
Project description:Staphylococcus aureus is the major cause of endocarditis, and its mortality has remained high despite therapeutic procedures over time. A case of left-sided native valve endocarditis caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus which responded well to moxifloxacin monotherapy is described. An 83-year-old woman with a history of current hospitalization presented with fatigue and fever. Transthoracic echocardiography depicted vegetation, and blood cultures were positive for Staphylococcus aureus. After a 14-day intravenous administration of moxifloxacin, a good clinical response was achieved, and antibiotic regimen transitioned to oral moxifloxacin for an additional four-week therapy.
Project description:Left sided endocarditis (LSE) can include the entirety or portion of mitral and/or aortic valve and the structures in their anatomical contiguity and represent a significant portion of emergency surgical activity. Literature and guidelines on the management of LSE relies mainly on observational studies given the difficulty in designing randomized trials in emergency settings. Heart teams (HT) are often called in to difficult decisions on the most appropriate strategy to adopted in case of LSE. Decision-making should take into account the localization and the extension of the infection, patient preoperative status and comorbidities, presence of a previous valve prosthesis and best timing for surgery. Despite evidence suggests that early surgery may improve survival in patients with complicated infective endocarditis (IE), an increased risk of recurrence and postoperative valvular dysfunctions has been reported. The most important factors associated with long-term outcomes are preoperative multiorgan failure, prosthetic mechanical valve IE, vegetation size ≥15 mm, and timing of surgical treatment. Importantly, up to one third of potential candidates do not undergo surgery and these patients experience extremely high mortality rates. Another important point regards the choice of the optimal valve substitute to be used according to the different clinical situation. The lack of RCT in this field and the difficulty to design this type of studies in the case of non-elective conditions further complicates the possibility to achieve a univocal consensus on the best strategy to be adopted in each form of LSE and further validation studies are needed. On the basis of the current evidences a decisional algorithm is proposed summarizing all the crucial aspects in the management of LSE.
Project description:Case presentationA 65-year-old male presented to the emergency department with symptoms including fever, abnormal urinalysis, and elevated post-void residual. Point-of-care ultrasound was used to rapidly diagnose a bladder diverticulum. The patient was subsequently seen by urology for outpatient bladder repair.DiscussionBladder diverticula, an out-pouching of the bladder, may occur congenitally or as a result of various bladder conditions and/or surgery. Although bladder diverticula are rare and often asymptomatic, severe complications including frequent recurring urinary tract infections may arise depending on the patient.
Project description:Undifferentiated abdominal pain is a common presentation often requiring immediate medical or surgical intervention. Providing an accurate diagnosis involves a detailed patient history and thorough physical exam. Point of care ultrasound is gaining acceptance as a rapid diagnostic tool that can be used to accurately detect life-threatening conditions while potentially avoiding unnecessary radiation exposure and facilitating rapid treatment. Detection of pneumoperitoneum with point-of-care ultrasound is a simple procedure that relies heavily on the experience of the investigating practitioner. Standard technique involves placing a high-frequency linear-array transducer in the right upper quadrant, where abdominal free air is most likely to accumulate. Detection of the 'gut point', which is the transition of abdominal wall sliding to lack thereof in a single image, is the pathognomonic finding of pneumoperitoneum. If visualization is difficult, moving the patient to the left lateral decubitus position or using the scissors technique can provide additional image views. This representative case report and review highlights the use of abdominal POCUS for the diagnosis of pneumoperitoneum. Ultrasound should continue to be explored by clinicians to narrow the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain.
Project description:Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has the potential to diagnose papilledema, a sign of increased intracranial pressure, through optic disc elevation as well as optic nerve sheath diameter measurements. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a syndrome resulting in increased intracranial pressure. We present a case of IIH where the emergency physician diagnosed papilledema by POCUS via presence of both optic disc elevation and a widened optic nerve sheath diameter.