Aortic Dissection in a Survivor after Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Abstract

An 86-year-old patient was admitted to the ICU with multiple trauma injury following a fall down ten stairs. Shortly after ICU admission the patient went into cardiac arrest and resuscitation efforts, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), were initiated. Transesophageal echocardiogram was performed to guide therapy and, after regaining heart rhythm and blood pressure, the echocardiogram exam demonstrated critical aortic stenosis and type-B aortic dissection. The aortic dissection was not present on initial chest computerized tomography done on admission to the hospital. The aortic dissection appears to have resulted from the CPR performed to revive the patient.

A Case of an Aortic Dissection After Mechanical Chest Compression by LUCAS

“…Injuries to the lungs, stomach, liver, spleen, and blood vessels have also been reported ( 2 ). Injuries to the aorta are rare, with a rate of 1.5% for aortic ruptures and lacerations ( 1 ) and only a number of case reports of aortic dissections following manual CPR ( 3 , 4 , 5 ). The proximal descending aorta is often implicated, owing to the shear force between a mobile aortic arch and a fixed descending aorta ( 3 ).…”

Cardiac arrest after topical application of lidocaine during microneedling procedure: A rare case

“…10 CT angiography and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) seem to be more appropriate methods of diagnosis compared to chest radiography, especially CT angiography which has a diagnostic sensitivity of more than 97% in aortic rupture. 12 Although acute aortic syndrome after CPR is rare, it can be fatal and the optimal treatment for such lesions is disputable.…”