Critical Care and Shock

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has become the standard
of care for comatose victims of cardiac arrest with return
of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). This therapeutic
modality has several physiological and molecular
mechanisms by which it provides protection to several
organs. We recently encountered a “radiologic” effect of
this intervention.

A previously-healthy thirty-year old man presented to the Emergency Department at Hawke’s Bay Hospital with central chest pain, following blunt chest trauma whilst SCUBA diving. He was at a depth of approximately five metres, during his ascent, when he was dumped onto a rock by a wave, hitting the left side of his chest. Several hours later, he developed central chest tightness and mild dyspnoea. He had no dysphagia or abdominal pain. Examination findings showed normal vital signs, reduced air entry over left chest wall, and a “crunchy” systolic murmur.

A 41 year-old woman case with nonproductive cough, dyspnea, weight loss and fever is described. Laboratories were remarkable for hypoxemia, leukocytosis, anemia and elevated hepatic enzymes. Chest X-ray demonstrated bilateral interstitial opacities. She was hospitalized with diagnosis of suspected pneumonia. Patient’s condition progressed to multiple organ failure and unfortunately, death. The diagnostic of gastric adenocarcinoma with lymphangitic spread was established at autopsy.

A 67-year-old gentleman with a prior history of coronary artery disease and a four-vessel coronary artery bypass graft five years prior to admission, presented to the hospital complaining of a 12-day history of midsternal chest pain. A chest radiograph performed 18 months prior to this presentation revealed a normal cardiovascular silhouette and normal mediastinum. Upon presentation, a new chest radiograph revealed a wide mediastinum. A computed tomography done emergently revealed an aortic thrombus starting at superior mediastinum and large (6 cm) pseudoaneurysm in anterior mediastinum.

A 30-year-old Hispanic gentleman with past medical history of hypertension and dyslipidemia, presented to the emergency department with complaints of a blunt, constant, epigastric pain radiating to his back for 24 hours. Physical examination revealed a man in severe distress, tachypneic and tachycardic. Laboratory data, as well as the physical exam, were consistent with acute severe pancreatitis. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and a computed tomography (CT) of his abdomen was obtained revealing a large thrombus in the portal vein (Figure 1).