In reply: Infective endocarditis: Don’t forget the ICE

[摘要] In reply: The letter from Drs. Araj and Luna regarding the utilization of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) raises several interesting points. Indeed, for patients with infective endocarditis with inconclusive findings on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and contraindications to use of contrast-mediated studies or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), ICE does present another potentially useful diagnostic modality. However, it is an invasive procedure, and as such, the clinical team would need to weigh the risk of complications. Further, while the authors suggest that the cost is comparable to that of TEE, the likely higher cost relative to positron emission tomography (PET) and other advanced imaging methodologies, as well as availability of institutional expertise, experience, and availability, should also be considered.

[学科分类] 卫生学