This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Echocardiography

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Echocardiography uses ultrasound to provide a real-time image of the heart. Notably:

  • it is non-invasive and is thought to be harmless
  • the ultrasound generator and receiver is a piezo- electric crystal
  • for high resolution images a high frequency ultrasound must be used - this is 2 MHz for adults and 7 MHz for infants

 

Notes (1):

  • heart failure:
    • in the absence of a significant cardiac history, and with a normal physical examination and 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), then the presence of simple cardiomegaly (without pulmonary congestion or other findings suggestive of cardiac disease) on a chest X-ray does not warrant an echocardiogram as the likely yield of identifying significant cardiac pathology is low
  • hypertension:
    • an echocardiogram is not indicated routinely to evaluate patients with hypertension, particularly when a normal 12-lead ECG and physical examination is present (1)

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.