Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and intrathoracic renal ectopy

Excerpt

An elderly woman was admitted to our ICU following 25 min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). No mechanical CPR devices were used. A contrast-enhanced post-resuscitation CT-scan revealed intrathoracic renal ectopy (IRE) (Fig. 1). IRE is a rare finding and is considered to account for only a minority of ectopic kidneys. It predominantly presents in males within the left hemithorax. Although IRE patients are mostly asymptomatic, respiratory complications (e.g. in children after anesthesia) were reported. Our CT scan demonstrates that IRE patients are at increased risk for organ injury in cases of CPR being performed. The restrictive nature of the condition may further promote pulmonary complications in critical illness.

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