Intraoperative Iatrogenic Acute Pericardial Tamponade: Use of Rescue Transesophageal Echocardiography in a Patient Undergoing Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

Abstract

t ATROGENIC PENETRATING CARDIAC injuries are uncommon but potentially fatal.1-12 These injuries may contribte to a precipitous decline in cardiac output resulting from apid accumulation of blood in the pericardium. Prompt recogition and immediate pericardial decompression are required to revent mortality. A case of unexplained intraoperative cardioascular collapse after abdominal closure in a patient immeditely after a successful orthotopic liver transplant is presented. escue transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was used to cutely assess the hemodynamic instability and provide a rapid iagnosis that prevented a fatal outcome.