Echocardiography in trauma

Trauma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the globe. Patients with trauma may have blunt or penetrating, cardiac, or non-cardiac injuries. Echocardiography has a role to play in the evaluation of a cardiac as well as non-cardiac trauma patient, not only in the trauma resuscitation phase but also during the critical illness period. Often, time is very limited and detailed echocardiography is possible only in the postresuscitation phase. In a resuscitation scenario, focused assessment protocols are used to evaluate for life-threatening cardiac injuries. In the postresuscitation phase, echocardiography may help by unmasking a pre-existing cardiac pathology or trauma related pathology which may influence management. Transoesophageal echocardiography should be considered if transthoracic views are inadequate. Echocardiography may also diagnose a cardiac pathology related to the critical illness like pulmonary embolism or critical care cardiomyopathy. The main emphasis of this chapter is on traumatic cardiac and aortic injuries.