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POCUS in the Critically Ill Pregnant Patient
- POCUS can be a valuable tool in the assessment and management of critically ill pregnant patients.
- Conditions to consider in the critically ill pregnant patient who presents with acute RUQ pain include acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP), liver infarction, liver hematoma, and Budd-Chiari Syndrome.
- POCUS findings for these conditions include:
- AFLP: a "bright" liver
- Infarction: a wedge-shaped hypoechoic area (late finding)
- Hematoma: a heterogeneous fluid collection below the capsule or intraparenchymal
- Budd-Chiari Syndrome: lack of blood flow or thrombus in a hepatic vein or within the IVC.
References
Blanco P, Abdo-Cuza A. Point-of-care ultrasound in the critically ill pregnant or postpartum patient: what every intensivist should know. Intensive Care Med. 2019; epub ahead of print.