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Ultrasonographic Assessment During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
06:04

Ultrasonographic Assessment During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Published on: October 24, 2020

Case series: CT scan in cardiac arrest and imminent cardiogenic shock

Manisha Jana1, Shivanand Ramachandra Gamanagatti, Atin Kumar

  • 1Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India.

The Indian Journal of Radiology & Imaging
|July 8, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Contrast-enhanced CT scans reveal dependent contrast pooling and layering in patients experiencing cardiac arrest or cardiogenic shock. This imaging finding indicates altered hemodynamics and worsening clinical status.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Cardiovascular Imaging
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Altered hemodynamics in cardiac arrest or shock can lead to stagnant blood flow.
  • Dependent contrast pooling and layering are potential imaging markers of critical hemodynamic compromise.

Observation:

  • This study reports contrast-enhanced CT scan findings in four patients with cardiac arrest or impending cardiogenic shock.
  • Two patients experienced cardiac arrest during CT imaging; the other two developed cardiogenic shock shortly after.

Findings:

  • All four patients exhibited dependent contrast pooling and layering on CT scans.
  • Faint or absent opacification of the left cardiac chambers was observed.
  • Contrast pooling occurred in dependent veins (lumbar, hepatic, renal), hepatic parenchyma, inferior vena cava (IVC), and right heart chambers.

Implications:

  • Dependent contrast pooling and layering on contrast-enhanced CT are significant imaging indicators of severe hemodynamic compromise.
  • These findings can aid in the rapid diagnosis and management of patients with cardiac arrest or cardiogenic shock.
  • Highlights the utility of CT imaging in evaluating critically ill patients with cardiovascular compromise.

Keywords:
Cardiac arrestcardiogenic shockcomputed tomographycontrast layering

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