Key result
Point-of-care focused cardiac ultrasound rapidly identified apical ballooning and reduced left ventricular systolic function, facilitating the diagnosis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
Case Report (n=1)
Point-of-care focused cardiac ultrasound can assist in the rapid diagnosis and management of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the emergency department.
FOCUS may aid bedside TCM recognition in the ED; leaves open prospective validation of diagnostic accuracy.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is an important condition for the emergency physician to consider in patients with cardiovascular symptoms. A 70-year-old woman presented with chest pain and nausea following emotional trauma. She had an elevated troponin and a normal electrocardiogram with no history of previous cardiac disease. Point-of-care focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) showed reduced left ventricular systolic function with mid to apical hypokinesis. Cardiac catheterization revealed clean coronary arteries and confirmed the suspected diagnosis of TCM. Few reports emphasize the importance of FOCUS in the diagnosis and management of TCM in the emergency department. We detail FOCUS findings that assisted with diagnosis of TCM and describe how this quick, noninvasive imaging modality can be used to assess and manage emergent conditions.
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Meigh et al. (2018) conducted a case report in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (n=1). Point-of-care focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) was evaluated. Point-of-care focused cardiac ultrasound rapidly identified apical ballooning and reduced left ventricular systolic function, facilitating the diagnosis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
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