1. Critical Care Echocardiography: A Primer for the Nephrologist
- Author
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Oscar J.L. Mitchell, Felipe Teran, Sharad Patel, and Cameron Baston
- Subjects
Nephrologists ,Intensive Care Units ,Critical Care ,Echocardiography ,Nephrology ,Critical Illness ,Hemodynamics ,Humans ,Article - Abstract
Critical Care Echocardiography refers to the goal-directed use of use of transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography and represents one of the most common applications of Critical Care Ultrasound. Critical Care Echocardiography can be performed at the point-of-care, is easily repeated following changes in clinical status, and does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation. Nephrologists who participate in the care of patients in the intensive care unit will regularly encounter Critical Care Echocardiography as part of the decision-making and bedside management of ICU patients. The four primary indications for CCE are the characterization of shock, evaluation of preload tolerance, volume responsiveness, and the serial hemodynamic assessment to evaluate response to therapeutic interventions. This manuscript provides an overview of the anatomical structures that are routinely assessed in basic Critical Care Echocardiography, describe how these findings are incorporated into the clinical assessment of critically ill patients, and an introduction to some common applications of advanced Critical Care Echocardiography.
- Published
- 2021
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