An unusual cause of left atrium compression by ultrasound: A case report.

RATIONALE

Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Patients with cirrhosis are at increased risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, a life-threatening complication.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 34-year-old male with cirrhosis was admitted to the emergency department with symptoms of vomiting fresh blood and dizziness. He developed extensive upper gastrointestinal bleeding and was treated with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube (SBT), followed by unexplained sharp fluctuations in heart rate and blood pressure.

DIAGNOSES

Transthoracic echocardiography revealed that the SBT tube had shifted and compressed the heart.

INTERVENTIONS

The SBT was extracted under an endoscope.

OUTCOMES

After treatment, he received a good prognosis.

LESSONS

The SBT tube displacement was found through transthoracic echocardiography to avoid more serious complications ultrasound technology is a noninvasive and visual technology, which has great value in many disciplines.