TITLE:
Focus assessed transthoracic echocardiography (FATE) to diagnose pleural effusions causing haemodynamic compromise
AUTHORS:
Nils Petter Oveland, Nigussie Bogale, Benedict Waldron, Kasper Bech, Erik Sloth
KEYWORDS:
Pleural Effusions; Haemodynamic Instability; Haemothorax; Transthoracic Echocardiography
JOURNAL NAME:
Case Reports in Clinical Medicine,
Vol.2 No.3,
June
5,
2013
ABSTRACT: The clinical
assessment of patients with respiratory and circulatory problems can be
complex, time consuming and have a high incidence of error. Bedside
transthoracic ultrasound (US) is a useful adjunctive test in the evaluation of
acutely unstable patients. This case series describes the use of the Focus
Assessed Transthoracic Echocardiography (FATE) protocol to diagnose unsuspected
pleural collections of fluid and how drainage significantly contributes to the
haemodynamic improvement seen in these patients.