Party Balloon Inflation Maneuver During Saline Contrast Transthoracic Echocardiography to Detect Patent Foramen Ovale

Abstract

Saline contrast echocardiography requires an adequate provocation method for the detection of patent foramen ovale. The party balloon inflation maneuver during saline contrast transthoracic echocardiography is easy to explain to patients and objectively assesses the performance of provocative maneuvers by a clinician by watching balloon inflation. ( Level of Difficulty: Intermediate. )

Increasing Venous Return Blood Flow to the Right Atrium Using the Party Balloon Inflation Maneuver

“…Consequently, we developed the party balloon inflation maneuver (PBIM), which is useful for detecting PFO. 3 The PBIM is easy to explain to patients and provides visual feedback to confirm the correct execution of the maneuver. However, the extent to which PBIM affects hemodynamics remains unclear.…”

“…The 30-mm-wide party balloon inflation provides 20 to 25 mm Hg of positive end-expiratory pressure to the patient’s airway, 3 thereby increasing intrathoracic pressure, decreasing venous return, and enhancing venous return to the RA more effectively than does the conventional VM. Therefore, the PBIM approach may surpass the conventional VM in detecting right-to-left shunts in patients with a PFO.…”