Saturday, February 28, 2009

Chest X-ray abnormality


70 y.o. woman with h/o HTN, Hyperlipidemia, DM, PVD and CAD, is admitted to hospital with pneumonia. About 48 hrs after hospitalization the patient develops septic shock and rapid response team is called. Due to lack of good iv access, senior resident quickly places a lt. subclavian triple lumen catheter and the patient is transferred to the ICU. Subsequently, the patient also has an arterial catheter placed for close hemodynamic monitoring. 2 days later, the arterial catheter is removed. Patient continues to have borderline hypotension and the attending physician requests measurement of CVP. ICU nurse states that the TLC placement precludes her from measuring CVP. Based on the CXR findings, what was the reason of her statement?

A. She could see the arterial waveforms on the monitor- ANSWER
B. The TLC was significantly proximal and needed to be pushed further in, to get the measurement
C. The nurse was not trained to interpret CVP
D. The TLC was significantly distal and needed to be pulled back to get the measurement
E. The TLC was coiled up and needed to be replaced.

Had the patient developed a complication from the TLC placement and a law-suit was filed, which of the following individual(s) would receive a subpoena for deposition?

A. Attending Physician
B. Radiologist
C. Resident
D. Intensivist
E. All of the above- ANSWER