Cardiac Ultrasound in

Emergency Medicine

Anthony J. Weekes MD, RDMS

Sarah A. Stahmer MD
For the SAEM US Interest Group
 Primary Indications
 Thoraco-abdominal trauma
 Pulseless Electrical Activity
 Unexplained hypotension
 Suspicion of pericardial
effusion/tamponade
 Secondary Indications
 Acute Cardiac Ischemia
 Pericardiocentesis
 External pacer capture
 Transvenous pacer placement
 Main Clinical Questions

 What is the overall cardiac wall motion?

 Is there a pericardial effusion?

 Cardiac probe selection
 Small round footprint
for scan between ribs
 2.5 MHz: above
average sized patient
 3.5 MHz: average
sized patient
 5.0 MHz: below
average sized patient
or child
 Main cardiac views
 Parasternal
 Subcostal
 Apical
 Wall Motion
 Normal
 Hyperkinetic
 Akinetic
 Dyskinetic: may fail
to contract, bulges
outward at systole
 Hypokinetic
 Orientation
 Subcostal or subxiphoid view
 Best all around imaging window
 Good for identification of:
– Circumferential pericardial effusion
– Overall wall motion
 Easy to obtain – liver is the acoustic
window\
 Subcostal View
 Most practical in
trauma setting
 Away from airway
and neck/chest
procedures
 Subcostal View

 Liver as acoustic
window
 Alternative to
apical 4 chamber
view
Subcostal View
Subcostal View
 Subcostal View
 Angle probe right to
see IVC
 Response of IVC to
sniff indicates central
venous pressure
 No collapse
– Tamponade
– CHF
– PE
– Pneumothorax
 Parasternal Views
 Next best imaging window
 Good for imaging LV
 Comparing chamber sizes
 Localized effusions
 Differentiating pericardial from pleural
effusions
 Parasternal Long Axis
 Near sternum
 3rd or 4th left intercostal space
 Marker pointed to patient’s right
shoulder (or left hip if screen is not
reversed for cardiac imaging)
 Rotate enough to elongate cardiac
chambers
Parasternal Long Axis
Parasternal Long Axis View
 Parasternal Short Axis
 Obtained by 90° clockwise rotation
of the probe towards the left
shoulder (or right hip)

 Sweep the beam from the base of

the heart to the apex for different
cross sectional views
Parasternal Short Axis View
Parasternal Short Axis
 Apical View
 Difficult view to obtain
 Allows comparison of ventricular
chamber size
 Good window to assess septal/wall
motion abnormalities
 Apical Views
 Patient in left
lateral decubitus
position
 Probe placed at
PMI
 Probe marker at 6
o’clock (or right
shoulder)
 4 chamber view
 Apical 4 chamber view
 Marker pointed to
the floor
 Similar to
parasternal view
but apex well
visualized
 Angle beam
superiorly for 5
chamber view
Apical 4 chamber view
 Apical 2 chamber view
 Patient in left
lateral decubitus
position
 Probe placed at
PMI
 Probe marker at 3
o’clock
 2 chamber view
 Apical 2 chamber view
 Good look at inferior and anterior walls
 Apical 2 chamber view
 From apical 4,
rotate probe 90°
counterclockwise
 Good view for
long view of left
sided chambers
and mitral valve
Abnormal findings

Pericardial Effusion
 Case Presentation
 45 year old male presents with SOB
and dizziness for 2 days. He has a long
smoking history, and has complained of
a non-productive cough for “weeks”
 Initial VS are BP 88/palp, HR 140
 PE: Neck veins are distended
 Chest: Clear, muffled heart sounds
 Bedside sonography was performed
Echo free space around the heart

 Pericardial effusion
 Pleural effusion
 Epicardial fat (posterior and/or
anterior)
 Less common causes:
– Aortic aneurysm
– Pericardial cyst
– Dilated pulmonary artery
 Size of the Pericardial
Effusion
 Not Precise
 Small: confined to posterior space,
< 0.5cm
 Moderate: anterior and posterior,
0.5-2cm (diastole)
 Large: > 2cm
Pericardial Fluid: Subcostal
 Clinical features of
Pericardial effusion
 Pericardial fluid accumulation may
be clinically silent
 Symptoms are due to:
– mechanical compression of adjacent
structures
– Increased intrapericardial pressure
 Pericardial
Effusion:Asymptomatic
 Up to 40% of pregnant women
 Chronic hemodialysis patients
– one study showed 11% incidence of
pericardial effusion
 AIDS
 CHF
 Hypoproteinemic states
 Symptoms of Pericardial
Effusion
 Chest discomfort (most common)
 Large effusions:
– Dyspnea
– Cough
– Fatigue
– Hiccups
– Hoarseness
– Nausea and abdominal fullness
 Cardiac Tamponade
 Increased intracardiac pressures

 Limitation of ventricular diastolic

filling

 Reduction of stroke volume and

cardiac output
Ventricular collapse in
diastole
Tamponade
Hypotension
 Abnormal findings
 Is the cause of hypotension cardiac in
etiology?
 Is it due to a pericardial effusion?
 Is is due to pump failure?
 Unexplained Hypotension
 Cardiogenic shock
– Poor LV contractility
 Hypovolemia
– Hyperdynamic ventricules
 Right ventricular infarct/large
pulmonary embolism
– Marked RV dilitation/hypokinesis
 Tamponade
– RV diastolic collapse
 Cardiogenic shock
 Dilated left
ventricle

 Hypocontractile
walls
 Hypovolemia
 Small chamber filling size
 Aggressive wall motion
 Flat IVC or exaggerated collapse
with deep inspiration
 Massive PE or RV infarct
 Dilated Right
ventricle
 RV hypokinesis
 Normal Left
ventricle function
 Stiff IVC
Case presentation ? overdose
 27 yo f brought in with “passing out”
after night of heavy drinking.
 Complaining of inability to breathe!
 PE: Obese f BP 88/60 HR 123 Ox
78%
 Chest: clear
 Ext: No edema
 Bedside sonography was performed
 Chest pain then code
 55 yo male suffered witnessed Vfib
arrest in the ED
 ALS protocol - restoration of perfusing
rhythm
 Persistant hypotension
 ED ECHO was performed
R sided leads
Non Traumatic
Resuscitation
 Direct Visualization
 Is there effective myocardial
contractility?
– Asystole
– Myocardial “twitch”
– Hypokinesis
– Normal
 Is there a pericardial effusion?
 ECHO in PEA
 Perform ECHO during “quick look”
and in pulse checks
 Change management based on
“positive” findings
 Pericardial tamponade
– Pericardiocentesis
 Hyperdynamic cardiac wall motion
– Volume resuscitate
 ECHO in PEA
 RV dilatation
– Hypoxic?? – Likely PE
– ECG – IMI with RV infarct?
 Profound hypokinesis
– Inotropic support
 Asystole
– Follow ACLS protocols (for now)
– Early data suggesting poor prognosis
 ECHO in PEA
 False positive cardiac motion
– Transthoracic pacemaker

– Positive pressure ventilation

 Case presentation
 Morbidly obese female with severe asthma
 Intubated for respiratory failure
 Subcutaneous emphysema developed
 Bilateral chest tubes placed
 Persistent hypotension at 90/palp
 Dependent mottling noted
 ECHO was performed
Ineffective cardiac
contractions
 Optimizing Performance
 Assessing capture by transthoracic
pacemaker

 Pericardiocentesis

 Transvenous pacemaker placement

 Optimizing Performance

 Assessment of capture by transthoracic

pacemaker

 Ettin D et al: Using ultrasound to

determine external pacer capture JEM
1999
 Case Presentation
70 yo f collapsed in lobby. She was brought into
the ED apneic, hypotensive. She was quickly
intubated and volume resuscitation begun.
VS: BP 80/50 HR 50 Afebrile
Physical exam : Thin, minimally responsive f.
Clear lungs, nl heart sounds, abdomen slightly
distended with decreased bowel sounds. No
HSM, ? Pelvic mass
ECG: SB, LVH, no active ischemia
 Clinical questions?
 Why is she hypotensive?
 Volume loss
?Ruptured AAA
 Pump failure
 Bedside sonography was performed
while we were waiting for the “labs”
Increase HR with PM “on”
 What did this tell us?
 Normal wall motion

 No pericardial/pleural effusion

 Good capture with the transthoracic PM

Asystole w/ Transthoracic PM
 Optimizing performance
 Pericardiocentesis
– Standard of care by cardiology/CT surgery
to use ECHO to guide aspiration
US Guided-
Pericardiocentesis
 Subcostal approach
– Traditional approach
– Blind
– Increased risk of injury to liver, heart
 Echo guided
– Left parasternal preferred for needle entry
or…
– Largest area of fluid collection adjacent to
the chest wall
Large pericardial effusion
Technique
 Optimizing performance
 Placement of transvenous pacemaker
 Aguilera P et al: Emergency
transvenous cardiac pacing placement
using ultrasound guidance. Ann Emerg
Med 2000
 Untimely end
 30 yo brought in after he “fell out”
 Ashen m with no spontaneous
respirations
 VS: No pulse, agonal rhythm on monitor
 Intubated/CPR
 Transvenous pacemaker placed, no
capture.
 ECHO showed
Penetrating Chest Trauma
 Penetrating Cardiac Trauma
 Physician’s ability to determine whether there is
a hemodynamically significant effusion is poor
 Beck’s Triad
– Dependent on patient cardiovascular status
– Findings are often late
 Determinants of hemodynamic compromise
– Size of the effusion
– Rate of formation
 Penetrating Cardiac Injury
 Emergency department
echocardiography improves outcome in
penetrating cardiac injury.
Plummer D et al. Ann Emerg Med. 1992

 28 had ED echo c/w 21 without ED echo

 Survival: 100% in echo, 57.1% in nonecho
 Time to Dx: 15 min echo, 42 min nonecho
 Penetrating Cardiac Injury
The role of ultrasound in patients with possible
penetrating cardiac wounds: a prospective
multicenter study.
Rozycki GS: J Trauma. 1999

 Pericardial scans performed in 261 patients

 Sensitivity 100%, specificity 96.9%
 PPV: 81% NPV:100%
 Time interval BUS to OR: 12.1 +/- 5.9 min
 Penetrating Cardiac Trauma
Emergency Department Echocardiography
Improves Outcome in Penetrating Cardiac
Injury
Plummer D, et al. Ann Emerg Med 21:709-712, 1992.

“Since the introduction of immediate ED two-

dimensional echocardiography, the time to
diagnosis of penetrating cardiac injury has
decreased and both the survival rate and
neurologic outcome of survivors has improved.”
Stab wound to the chest
 Penetrating Cardiac Trauma
 Echocardiographic signs of rising
intrapericardial pressure
– Collapse of RV free walls
– Dilated IVC and hepatic veins
 Goal: Early detection of pericardial effusion
– Develops suddenly or discretely
– May exist before clinical signs develop
 Salvage rates better if detected before
hypotension develops
 Technical Problems
 Subcutaneous air
 Pneumopericardium
 Mechanical ventilation
 Scanning limited by:
– Pain/tenderness
– Spinal immobilization
– Ongoing procedures
 Technical Problems
 Narrow intercostal spaces
 Obesity
 Muscular chest
 COPD
 Calcified rib cartilages
 Abdominal distention
 Sonographic Pitfalls

 Pericardial versus pleural fluid

 Pericardial clot

 Pericardial fat
 Pericardial or Pleural Fluid
 Left parasternal long axis:
– Pericardial fluid does not extend posterior
to descending aorta or left atrium
 Subcostal:
– No pleural reflection between liver and R
sided chambers
– A pleural effusion will not extend between
to RV free wall and the liver
Pleural and Pericardial fluid
Pleural effusion
 Blunt Cardiac Trauma

 Cardiac contusion
 Cardiac rupture
 Valvular disruption
 Aortic disruption/dissection
 Blunt Cardiac Trauma
 Pericardial effusion
 Assess for wall motion abnormality
– RV dyskinesis (takes the first hit)
 Assess thoracic aorta:
– Hematoma
– Intimal flap
– Abnormal contour
 Valvular dysfunction or septal rupture
 Cardiac Contusion

 Akinetic anterior RV wall

 Small pericardial effusion

 Diminished ejection fraction

RV Contusion
 Blunt Cardiac Trauma
 Assess thoracic aorta
– Hematoma
– Intimal flap
– Abnormal contour
– Requires TEE and expertise!
 Valvular dysfunction or septal rupture
– Requires expertise beyond our scope
 Summary
 Bedside ECHO can help assess:
– Overall cardiac wall motion
– Identify clinically significant pericardial effusions
 Useful in the assessment of the patient with:
– Unexplained hypotension
– Dyspnea
– Thoracic trauma