Ultrasound for Critical Care Physicians: Sickle Cell Crisis

A 32 year old man was admitted a week earlier with sickle cell pain crisis. He had developed increasing dyspnea, oxygen desaturation and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates.  He had a pulseless electric activity code blue and an ultrasound of the heart was obtained (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Subxiphoid view ultrasound of the heart.

What does the ultrasound show?

1. Aortic dissection
2. Aortic stenosis
3. Enlarged left ventricle
4. Enlarged right ventricle
5. Pericardial effusion

Reference as: Raschke RA. Ultrasound for critical care physicians: sickle cell crisis. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2013:7(2):110-1. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc113-13 PDF