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http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/echo.13035/full
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Saline contrast echocardiography (SCE) using agitated saline is an established, simple, inexpensive and yet surprisingly effective diagnostic tool that might help in solving a vexing diagnostic problem. Though the use of SCE is known since 1968, this test is underutilized in clinical practice
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Air embolism because of injection of agitated saline for SCE is very rare with reported incidence of 0.062% in a multicenter survey. In a recent series, none of the 281 patients had any adverse event. In another study of 132 patients of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia with grade 3 shunt only 2% (three) patients had paresthesia and migraine while none of the patients with shunt less than grade 3 had any adverse event.Further, these episodes are transient with no residual neurologic deficits making SCE a safe diagnostic tool. In our own experience, we have not observed a serious neurological event during the study even in patients with significant right-to-left shunt in more than few 100 patients studied over the years.
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Confessamos nosso receio com o método mas não podemos negar as evidências científicas de baixíssimo risco.
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Inclusive usos não rotineiros do método são abordados neste brilhante artigo.
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