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Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an important diagnostic tool for the bedside evaluation of critically ill patients with haemodynamic instability. [1] TEE offers advantages over routine transthoracic echocardiography because interference by lungs induced by mechanical ventilation, drainage chest tubes, and surgical wounds that interfere with image acquisition are avoided. High quality images can be obtained consistently from the esophageal window, with the only risk to the patient being the risk of esophageal probe introduction. This risk appears to be relatively less than the morbidity and potential mortality risks associated with invasive pulmonary artery catheter insertion. Associated complications of pulmonary artery catheters include vascular damage, haematoma, and pneumothorax, and even pulmonary artery rupture on rare occasion [2,3]. This review will discuss the major clinical indications for TEE in critically ill patients and introduce advances in the echocardiographic evaluation of these patients. |
