Long-standing Type 2 Diabetes in Medicine / Internal Medicine — 72yo Man | Cardiology | SMLE Q#18212
SMLE Question #18212
Medicine / Internal Medicine
Cardiology
Objective: OBJ-IM-CARD-ARRHYTH-EMBOLIC-01
Last updated: February 2026
A 72-year-old man with long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension undergoes emergent exploratory laparotomy for an acute abdomen with peritonitis. Intraoperatively, gangrenous bowel is found and acute mesenteric ischemia is suspected. The team wants to assess for a possible cardioembolic source. A 12-lead ECG shows sinus rhythm, and transthoracic echocardiography shows normal biventricular function without intracardiac thrombus or vegetations. What is the most appropriate next step to evaluate an occult cardiac cause?
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