While rounding in the surgical recovery unit, a physician is urgently called to the bedside of a -year-old male who just experienced a sudden cardiovascular collapse. The patient underwent an extensive small bowel resection for acute mesenteric ischemia days prior. The nurse reports that the patient acutely developed severe breathlessness and profound diaphoresis while being repositioned in bed.
Vital signs are temperature (), blood pressure mm Hg, heart rate /min, and respirations /min. Pulse oximetry displays on room air.
On physical examination, the patient is obtunded with cool, mottled extremities. There is marked jugular venous distension. Lung auscultation is clear bilaterally. Cardiac auscultation reveals a prominent parasternal heave, a loud P2, and a right-sided S3 gallop. The abdominal incision is intact with mild surrounding erythema but no fluctuance or purulent drainage.
Arterial blood gas reveals:
pH:
PaCO : mm Hg
PaO : mm Hg
HCO : mEq/L
A portable bedside echocardiogram is immediately performed, demonstrating a severely enlarged right ventricle with free-wall hypokinesis and apical sparing, along with leftward bowing of the interventricular septum. Left ventricular systolic function is preserved.
Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?
- AComputed tomography pulmonary angiography
- Percutaneous catheter-directed embolectomyCevap
- CBlood cultures and empiric intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics
- DIntravenous furosemide and noninvasive positive pressure ventilation
- EIntravenous sodium bicarbonate infusion