We have located links that may give you full text access.
Case Reports
Journal Article
Worsening Hypoxemia in the Face of Increasing PEEP: A Case of Large Pulmonary Embolism in the Setting of Intracardiac Shunt.
American Journal of Case Reports 2016 July 6
BACKGROUND Patent foramen ovale (PFO) are common, normally resulting in a left-to-right shunt or no net shunting. Pulmonary embolism (PE) can cause sustained increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and right atrial pressure. Increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) improves oxygenation at the expense of increasing intrathoracic pressures (ITP). Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) decreases shunt fraction, improves ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) matching, increases cardiac output, and decreases right atrial pressure by facilitating low airway pressure. CASE REPORT A 40-year-old man presented with dyspnea and hemoptysis. Oxygen saturation (SaO2) 80% on room air with A-a gradient of 633 mmHg. Post-intubation SaO2 dropped to 71% on assist control, FiO2 100%, and PEEP of 5 cmH20. Successive PEEP dropped SaO2 to 60-70% and blood pressure plummeted. APRV was initaiated with improvement in SaO2 to 95% and improvement in blood pressure. Hemiparesis developed and CT head showed infarction. CT pulmonary angiogram found a large pulmonary embolism. Transthoracic echocardiogram detected right-to left intracardiac shunt, with large PFO. CONCLUSIONS There should be suspicion for a PFO when severe hypoxemia paradoxically worsens in response to increasing airway pressures. Concomitant venous and arterial thromboemboli should prompt evaluation for intra-cardiac shunt. Patients with PFO and hypoxemia should be evaluated for causes of sustained right-to-left pressure gradient, such as PE. Management should aim to decrease PVR and optimize V/Q matching by treating the inciting incident (e.g., thrombolytics in PE) and by minimizing ITP. APRV can minimize PVR and maximize V/Q ratios and should be considered in treating patients similar to the one whose case is presented here.
Full text links
Related Resources
Trending Papers
Challenges in Septic Shock: From New Hemodynamics to Blood Purification Therapies.Journal of Personalized Medicine 2024 Februrary 4
Molecular Targets of Novel Therapeutics for Diabetic Kidney Disease: A New Era of Nephroprotection.International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2024 April 4
The 'Ten Commandments' for the 2023 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of endocarditis.European Heart Journal 2024 April 18
A Guide to the Use of Vasopressors and Inotropes for Patients in Shock.Journal of Intensive Care Medicine 2024 April 14
Diagnosis and Management of Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.Circulation 2024 April 19
Essential thrombocythaemia: A contemporary approach with new drugs on the horizon.British Journal of Haematology 2024 April 9
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.
By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Privacy Choices
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app