The use of ED resuscitative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a practical modality that provides useful diagnostic and therapeutic information for critically ill patients in the emergency department, with an excellent rate of adequate cardiac visualization, and a low complication rate.

25 patients (median age 71, 40% female) underwent ED resuscitative TEE.

All patients were intubated prior to probe insertion and adequate TEE views were obtained for every patient.

The most common indications for resuscitative TEE were cardiac arrest (64%) and undifferentiated shock (28%).

Resuscitation management changed in 76% (N = 19) and working diagnosis changed in 76% (N = 19) of patients.

Ten patients died in the ED, 15 were admitted to hospital, and eight survived to hospital discharge.

There were no immediate complications (0/15) and two delayed complications (2/15), both of which were minor gastrointestinal bleeding.

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