Successful Use of Limited Transthoracic Echocardiography to Guide Veno-venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator Placement in a Patient With Coronavirus Disease 2019

ACCORDING TO THE American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), the 2019 novel coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be easily spread during echocardiographic studies, with transesophageal echo (TEE) carrying a heightened risk because it can provoke aerosolization of the virus. Therefore, it is recommended that TEE be avoided in suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease –2019 (COVID-19) patients if an alternative imaging modality, such as transthoracic echo (TTE), can provide equivalent information.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research