Echocardiography Flashcards
How does echocardiography work?
- uses sound waves to interrogate the structure of the heart
- Transducer emits sound waves and measures return
How does density of an organ or tissue impact the measurement of an echocardiogram?
- More dense tissue reflects waves back in greater frequency
- less dense tissue reflects waves back in lesser frequency
Explain how an echocardiogram can be used to calculate distance
Size of a structure and the distance between elements can be calculated by the time of the sound wave return
Explain the impact of the returning wave frequency in an echocardiogram based on the movement of the object the waves are hitting (stationary object, object moving toward probe, object moving away from probe)
- stationary - waves return at same frequency
- object moving toward probe - higher frequency of returning waves
- obect moving away from probe - lower reflection frequency of returning waves
M-Mode of echocardiography measures:
the structure and function of the target along a single line
2D-mode of echocardiography measures:
the structure and function of the target across a wider window
Transthoracic echocardiography
transducer postioned in different ways on the surface of the ches to collect images of the heart
Transesophageal echocardiography
transducer positioned inside the body, probe passes down the esophagus and images the heart from behind
What does a parasternal view during an echocardiogram allow the visualization of?
- short axis plane: valves, chambers, major arteries
- long axis plane: left or right chambers, or more medially a combindation of left and right structures
What does an apical view during an echocardiogram allow the visualization of?
2-5 chambers (5th being the aorta) from an inferior view
What does doppler measure?
velocity of blood
