Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening disease difficult to diagnose and manage in severe hemodynamic unstable patients. Transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is considered useful to improve diagnosis, but such approach has physical limitations for the interposition of the airways preventing the clear assessment of the left pulmonary artery. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), a recently developed technique carried out using a modified bronchoscope having a small ultrasound convex probe at the tip allowing to perform ultrasonography examination of the mediastinum, can extensively visualize the pulmonary arteries on both sides. We present the first use of EBUS to rapidly diagnose and subsequently treat a 64 years old woman with history of lateral amyotrophic sclerosis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for severe dyspnoea and rapidly experiencing a cardiac arrest. Combined bedside EBUS and echocardiography allowed to rapidly diagnose the cause of cardiac arrest and avoid risks related to transferring the critical patient to the radiology department.

中文翻译：

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通过结合支气管内超声和超声心动图，改善对引起心脏骤停的肺栓塞的诊断。

肺栓塞（PE）是一种危及生命的疾病，在严重的血液动力学不稳定的患者中难以诊断和处理。经食道超声心动图检查（TEE）被认为有助于改善诊断，但这种方法在气道插入方面存在物理局限性，从而无法明确评估左肺动脉。支气管内超声（EBUS）是一项最新开发的技术，使用改良的支气管镜在尖端具有一个小的超声凸形探头，可以对纵隔进行超声检查，可以广泛地观察两侧的肺动脉。我们介绍了首次使用EBUS来快速诊断并随后治疗因重度呼吸困难而迅速进入心脏骤停并进入重症监护病房（ICU）的有肌萎缩侧索硬化病史的64岁女性。床旁EBUS和超声心动图检查相结合，可以快速诊断心脏骤停的原因，并避免将重症患者转移到放射科的风险。