COVID 19: A Stressor for Both the Patient and the Anesthesiologist

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has created not only widespread morbidity and mortality, but a myriad of social, financial, and psychological stressors. In this setting, the medical community has seen a substantial increase in the incidences of cardiac morbidity and mortality, and, therefore, anesthesiologists should expect a higher incidence in the perioperative period. In this E-Challenge, the authors present a patient in whom an acute cardiac decompensation occurred secondary to an unanticipated difficult intubation, with an unexpected echocardiographic finding.