Transesophageal Echocardiography To Diagnose Blunt Traumatic Aortic Injury Traumatic Aortic Injury

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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To determine test performance of transesophageal echocardiography performed by emergency physician ultrasound for the identification of blunt traumatic aortic injury in chest trauma.

Detailed Description
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This is a multicentre prospective observational trial. All trauma patients with suspected BTAI at the emergency department (ED) will undergo resuscitative transesophageal echocardiography to evaluate the thoracic aorta. Resuscitative TEE is a minimally invasive procedure to evaluate all chest trauma patients. Besides the aorta, TEE can also provide other useful information regarding the hemodynamic status, cardiac function and lung pathology of the patient. Patients will be recruited into the study by investigators who take informed consent from the patient or next of kin prior to the TEE procedure. For all patients with suspected BTAI, CTA is mandatory to confirm the diagnosis of BTAI. TEE findings of BTAI will be compared to CTA which will be considered the reference standard unless confirmation is available from surgical procedures or autopsy. Inter-observer variability for normal or pathological TEE images interpretation is performed prior to the initiation of the study.

Official Title
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Emergency Physician Performed Transesophageal Echocardiography To Diagnose Blunt Traumatic Aortic Injury

Conditions
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Trauma Chest

Intervention / Treatment
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* Diagnostic Test: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: All trauma patients with suspected BTAI in the emergency department (ED) who undergo both TEE and CTA. Exclusion Criteria: Children (age under 18 years) will not be eligible for inclusion in this study. Patients with contraindication to TEE such as suspected esophageal injury or pathology

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 100 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Trauma patients with suspected blunt traumatic aortic injury (BTAI)<br>All trauma patients with suspected BTAI at the emergency department who require both transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and computed tomography angiography (CTA). | Diagnostic Test: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)<br>* Sensitivity and specificity of TEE in identification of BTAI<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sensitivity and specificity of TEE in identification of BTAI | To determine the test performance of transesophageal echocardiography in the identification of BTAI in comparison to CTA. | 1 year | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Transesophageal echocardiography, Aorta, Trauma, Emergency department, Blunt Trauma