A study that aimed to determine the significance of transpulmonary bubble transit detection (TPBT) during ARDS found moderate-to-large TPBT was detected with contrast echocardiography in 26% of ARDS patients.
Transpulmonary bubble transit (TPBT) detected with contrast echocardiography is reported as a sign of intrapulmonary shunt during cirrhosis or exercise in healthy humans. However, its physiological meaning is not clear during acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Our aim was to determine the prevalence, significance, and prognosis of TPBT detection during ARDS.
This was a prospective observational study in an academic medical intensive care unit in France. Two hundred and sixteen consecutive patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS underwent transesophageal echocardiography with modified gelatine contrast.
