Paddling Upstream With Point-of-Care Ultrasound to Diagnose Cardiac Ascites.

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Patricia C. Cheung, Emory University School of Medicine; Jason Williams, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-11-21
• Publisher: Cureus
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020, Cheung et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.11604
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Cureus
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 11
• Start Page: e11604
• End Page: e11604
• Keywords: cardiac ascites; right ventricular failure; point-of-care-ultrasound; cirrhosis; portopulmonary hypertension

Abstract

Ascites has multiple etiologies, including cirrhosis and heart failure, which can be differentiated by point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). One cause of cardiac ascites that can be difficult to identify is portopulmonary hypertension (PPH), a rare disorder caused by pulmonary artery vasoconstriction due to advanced liver disease. POCUS can readily identify right ventricular dysfunction which can accelerate a PPH diagnosis. This case report describes the use of POCUS to work-up new onset ascites and expedite diagnosis of cardiac ascites due to PPH.