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Cardiac ultrasound (EchoCS) is an effective diagnostic method that helps to identify pathologies at an early stage and get rid of them in a timely manner. The study of the heart is carried out through the penetration of ultrasonic waves into the human body. This procedure is completely harmless and can be prescribed without restrictions. How to read its result correctly?

When is the examination scheduled?

Ultrasound diagnostics is done if the patient suffers from cardiac pathologies, lung diseases, rheumatism, pulmonary regurgitation, or problems with pressure in the pulmonary artery. Other indications for echocardiography: lack of air, heart pain, dizziness, swelling of the legs.

The examination is performed when the patient is recovering from heart surgery, after a heart attack, with thrombophlebitis and varicose veins. Ultrasound examinations are also performed on infants if they have signs of a congenital defect: underweight, bluish skin tone, heart murmurs.

Ultrasound allows the doctor to identify disturbances in the functioning of an organ, determine its size, heart rate, blood circulation speed inside the organ and other important indicators. When interpreting the results of echocardiography, it is possible to analyze the condition of the heart vessels and pathological changes in them. Cardiac echocardiography is performed in conjunction with Doppler ultrasound to assess blood flow characteristics.

Ultrasound of the CS is a safe procedure that is prescribed to patients of any age. It is usually performed if there are changes after an ECG of the heart. There are no restrictions on such diagnostics. The only thing is that it can be difficult to examine the heart if a woman has large mammary glands, or the patient has a deformed chest, or has attacks of bronchial asthma.

Arrhythmia is one of the indications for research

Indicators for a healthy heart

The functioning of the heart directly depends on a person’s age. Therefore, the results of heart ultrasound in a child and in an adult are interpreted differently. Normally, the volume of the baby’s heart and large vessels is much smaller, although the blood flow speed is high. Over time, the size of the organ increases and the rate of blood circulation decreases.

What are the norms for adults?

Using ultrasound diagnostics, the structure and parameters of all the main parts of the heart of men and women are checked. These include two atria, two ventricles, their walls and partitions between the chambers. When deciphering EchoCS in adults, the following readable values ​​are considered normal:

• The left atrium should be no more than 40 mm in size.
• The right ventricle should have parameters no more than 30 mm.
• The left ventricle has a CSR of no more than 40 mm, and a CDR of less than 57 mm.
• The posterior wall of the LV is 12-18 mm (systolic size), 7-12 (diastolic size).
• The thickness of the interventricular septum ranges from 11 to 16 mm (in systole), from 7 to 12 mm (in diastole).
• The parameters of the aorta are no more than 40 mm.
• The size of the pulmonary artery is from 18 to 28 mm.

Typically, an ultrasound examination of the ECHO CS is carried out together with Doppler ultrasound, which helps to determine the speed of blood movement through the cardiac sections. Thanks to this method, the condition of the valves and the contractility of the heart can be assessed.

Normal blood flow indicators when deciphering an ultrasound of the heart are as follows:

• transmitral movement – ​​0.6-1.3 m/sec.;
• transcuspid movement – ​​0.3-0.7 m/sec.;
• transpulmonary movement – ​​0.6-0.9 m/sec.;
• Blood flow in the final chambers of the heart through the aortic valve is 0.7-1.1 m/sec.

Decipher the ultrasound result using a table with the specified standards, and you will be able to draw a conclusion about the state and activity of the cardiovascular system.

To make an accurate diagnosis, it may be necessary to estimate the ejection fraction (EF). 50-65 percent is considered normal. It may also be necessary to determine the average pressure in the pulmonary artery MPAP, cardiac index and other characteristics of the organ’s activity.

Indicators in the absence of pathologies in children

Decoding echocardiographic indicators in children has some peculiarities, so you need to know how to evaluate them. The ultrasound normal indicator is determined depending on the baby’s body area. To calculate it, ready-made formulas are used that use the child’s height and weight.

When the area is determined, the doctor will interpret the results of echocardiography (ECHO CG) in accordance with the following data.

The speed of blood flow is different in children; it is slightly higher than in adults. When deciphering the results of a heart ultrasound with Doppler, you should start from the following average characteristics:

• transmitral blood flow – 0.8-1.3 m/sec.;
• transcuspid blood flow – 0.5-0.8 m/sec.;
• transpulmonary blood flow – 0.7-1.1 m/sec;
• Blood flow in the terminal sections of the heart is 0.7-1.2 m/sec.

These indicators do not depend on what body area the child has and are considered the same for all children until they reach 18 years of age.

What diseases can be detected?

With an echocardiographic examination, the doctor can obtain more information than with an ECG. It detects changes in the parameters of the heart, which means that the patient has a pathology of this organ. Therefore, when deciphering echocardiography of the heart, it is possible to identify the following disorders:

• If the walls of the vessels are thickened, then a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy is made. This disease affects the myocardium.
• If, on the contrary, the walls are thinned, or there is an aneurysm, then we can talk about the development of hypertension.
• If the vessels are changed in size and the blood flow in them is reduced, this indicates the presence of valve disease.
• If a low volume of blood is detected that is ejected by the heart during contraction, then we can conclude that there is heart failure or congestion.

Using electrocardiography, congenital and acquired defects of the heart and great vessels, ischemia, heart rhythm disturbances, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, valvular stenosis or insufficiency and other diseases are detected.

Deviations of ultrasound indicators from the norm are observed in elderly people, those who are overweight, those suffering from alcohol addiction, smokers, and professional athletes. All data obtained during the examination is recorded in the conclusion of the cardiac ultrasound.

Ultrasound echocardiography is the most important method for diagnosing heart disease. It helps to check the condition of all parts of this organ and evaluate its contractility. The examination is quite informative, which allows you to make a diagnosis without the use of additional techniques.

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If you have already undergone an ultrasound examination of the kidneys or, for example, the abdominal organs, then you remember that in order to roughly interpret their results, you most often do not have to go to the doctor - you can find out the basic information before visiting the doctor, by reading the report yourself. The results of a heart ultrasound are not so easy to understand, so it can be difficult to decipher them, especially if you analyze each indicator by number.

You can, of course, just look at the last lines of the form, where a general summary of the research is written, but this also does not always clarify the situation. So that you can better understand the results obtained, we present the basic norms of cardiac ultrasound and possible pathological changes that can be determined by this method.

Ultrasound standards for heart chambers

To begin with, we will present a few numbers that are sure to appear in every Doppler echocardiography report. They reflect various parameters of the structure and functions of individual chambers of the heart. If you are a pedant and take a responsible approach to deciphering your data, pay maximum attention to this section. Perhaps, here you will find the most detailed information in comparison with other Internet sources intended for a wide range of readers. Data may vary slightly between sources; Here are the figures based on materials from the manual “Norms in Medicine” (Moscow, 2001).

Left ventricular parameters

Left ventricular myocardial mass: men – 135-182 g, women – 95-141 g.

Left ventricular myocardial mass index (often referred to as LVMI on the form): men 71-94 g/m2, women 71-89 g/m2.

End-diastolic volume (EDV) of the left ventricle (the volume of the ventricle that it has at rest): men – 112±27 (65-193) ml, women 89±20 (59-136) ml

End-diastolic dimension (EDV) of the left ventricle (size of the ventricle in centimeters, which it has at rest): 4.6 – 5.7 cm

End systolic dimension (ESD) of the left ventricle (size of the ventricle it has during contraction): 3.1 – 4.3 cm

Wall thickness in diastole (outside heartbeat): 1.1 cm

With hypertrophy - an increase in the thickness of the ventricular wall due to too much load on the heart - this figure increases. Figures of 1.2–1.4 cm indicate slight hypertrophy, 1.4–1.6 indicate moderate hypertrophy, 1.6–2.0 indicate significant hypertrophy, and a value of more than 2 cm indicates high degree hypertrophy.

Ejection fraction (EF) : 55-60%.

At rest, the ventricles are filled with blood, which is not completely ejected from them during contractions (systole). The ejection fraction shows how much blood relative to the total amount the heart ejects with each contraction; normally it is slightly more than half. When the EF indicator decreases, they speak of heart failure, which means that the organ pumps blood ineffectively, and it can stagnate.

Stroke volume (the amount of blood that is ejected by the left ventricle in one contraction): 60-100 ml.

Right ventricular parameters

Wall thickness: 5 ml

Size index 0.75-1.25 cm/m2

Diastolic size (size at rest) 0.95-2.05 cm

Parameters of the interventricular septum

Resting thickness (diastolic thickness): 0.75-1.1 cm

Excursion (moving from side to side during heart contractions): 0.5-0.95 cm. An increase in this indicator is observed, for example, with certain heart defects.

Right atrium parameters

For this chamber of the heart, only the value of EDV is determined - the volume at rest. A value of less than 20 ml indicates a decrease in EDV, a value of more than 100 ml indicates its increase, and an EDV of more than 300 ml occurs with a very significant increase in the right atrium.

Left atrium parameters

Size: 1.85-3.3 cm

Size index: 1.45 – 2.9 cm/m2.

Most likely, even a very detailed study of the parameters of the heart chambers will not give you particularly clear answers to the question about the state of your health. You can simply compare your indicators with the optimal ones and on this basis draw preliminary conclusions about whether everything is generally normal for you. For more detailed information, contact a specialist; The volume of this article is too small for wider coverage.

Ultrasound standards for heart valves

As for deciphering the results of a valve examination, it should present a simpler task. It will be enough for you to look at the general conclusion about their condition. There are only two main, most common pathological processes: stenosis and valve insufficiency.

The term "stenosis" indicates a narrowing of the valve opening, in which the overlying chamber of the heart has difficulty pumping blood through it and may undergo hypertrophy, which we discussed in the previous section.

Failure– this is the opposite state. If the valve leaflets, which normally prevent the reverse flow of blood, for some reason cease to perform their functions, the blood that has passed from one chamber of the heart to another partially returns, reducing the efficiency of the organ.

Depending on the severity of the disorders, stenosis and insufficiency can be grade 1, 2 or 3. The higher the degree, the more serious the pathology.

Sometimes in the conclusion of a cardiac ultrasound you can find such a definition as “relative insufficiency”. In this condition, the valve itself remains normal, and blood flow disturbances occur due to the fact that pathological changes occur in the adjacent chambers of the heart.

Ultrasound standards for the pericardium

The pericardium, or pericardial sac, is the “bag” that surrounds the outside of the heart. It fuses with the organ in the area where the vessels originate, in its upper part, and between it and the heart itself there is a slit-like cavity.

The most common pathology of the pericardium is an inflammatory process, or pericarditis. With pericarditis, adhesions can form between the pericardial sac and the heart and fluid can accumulate. Normally, it is 10-30 ml, 100 ml indicates a small accumulation, and over 500 indicates a significant accumulation of fluid, which can lead to difficulty in the full functioning of the heart and its compression...

To master the specialty of a cardiologist, a person must first study at the university for 6 years, and then study cardiology separately for at least a year. A qualified doctor has all the necessary knowledge, thanks to which he can not only easily decipher the conclusion, but also make a diagnosis based on it and prescribe treatment. For this reason, deciphering the results of such a complex study as ECHO-cardiography should be provided to a specialized specialist, rather than trying to do it yourself, poking around for a long time and unsuccessfully with the numbers and trying to understand what certain indicators mean. This will save you a lot of time and nerves, since you will not have to worry about your probably disappointing and, even more likely, incorrect conclusions about your health.

Regardless of heart disease, there are two main methods of instrumental diagnostics, which are quite informative and accessible to the population. An ECG allows you to assess the presence of pathologies in the conduction of impulses and create a general idea of ​​the state of the organ. Using an ultrasound of the heart, you can evaluate its structure, the size of its components (walls, valves, septa), track the movement of blood through the departments and detect any space-occupying formations (tumors, abscesses, fibrinous deposits, and so on).

The quality of ultrasound depends not only on the technique, but also on the interpretation of the results. If the indicators are interpreted incorrectly, it is possible to make an incorrect diagnosis and choose inadequate treatment tactics. Despite the fact that if anyone knows the norms, they can determine the presence of abnormalities, only a specialist can predict a certain disease based on these data. Therefore, it is important that only a qualified doctor interprets the diagnostic results.

Normal ultrasound results

Heart function significantly depends on the patient’s age, so the norms of indicators differ in the adult population and children. The normal volume of the heart and large vessels in a child is much smaller, with a higher blood flow speed. By the age of 18, in the absence of damage to these organs, their gradual increase occurs with a decrease in the average speed.

Normal ultrasound in adults

Using ultrasound, the structure and size of all the main elements of the heart are assessed: 2 atria and 2 ventricles (right and left), their walls and the interventricular septum. It should be noted that some formations change depending on whether the heart contracts (systole) or relaxes (diastole). These are the left ventricle and the interventricular septum.

In accordance with the data of Professor S.I. Pimanova, the following indicators should be considered normal when decoding:

• The size of the cavity of the LA (left atrium) is from 8 to 40 mm;
• The size of the cavity of the pancreas (right ventricle) is from 9 to 30 mm;
• The size of the LV cavity (left ventricle) is up to 41 mm (systolic), up to 57 mm (diastolic);
• Wall thickness (posterior) of the LV - 12-18 mm (systolic), 7-12 (diastolic);
• The thickness of the ventricular septum (interventricular septum) is 11-16 mm (systolic), 7-12 mm (diastolic);
• Dimensions of the aorta (ascending section) – up to 40 mm;
• The dimensions of the pulmonary artery (initial section) are from 18 to 28 mm.

Conventional ultrasound, as a rule, is supplemented by Doppler ultrasound - this is a method for determining the speed of blood movement through the parts of the heart. With its help, conclusions are drawn about the state of the valve apparatus and the ability of the heart to contract.

The speed of blood flow is determined in the projection of any valve and in the final parts of the heart (the exit of the left ventricle into the aorta):

• Transmitral current (through the bicuspid valve) - 0.6-1.3 meters/sec;
• Transcuspid current (through the tricuspid valve) - 0.3-0.7 meters/sec;
• Transpulmonary current (through the pulmonary valve) - 0.6-0.9 meters/sec;
• The current in the final chambers of the heart (through the aortic valve) is 0.7-1.1 meters/sec.

As a rule, the above indicators are sufficient to make a diagnosis. Additionally, it is possible to estimate the volume of blood ejection of the left ventricle (norm 3.5-5.5 l/minute), calculate the cardiac index (norm 2.6-4.2 l/minute*m2) and other characteristics of the heart.

To assess the dynamics of diseases, ultrasound must be performed several times. The interval depends on the time of therapy and the patient's condition. The number of ultrasound examinations is not limited for the patient, since the method has no contraindications or negative effects on the body.

Normal ultrasound in children

Decoding the ultrasound diagnostics performed in children has its own peculiarities. The normal indicator is determined in accordance with the child’s body area. To determine it, it is enough to use ready-made calculation formulas (the necessary parameters are height in cm and weight in kg).

Having determined the required boundaries of the ultrasound norm, we can make a conclusion about the presence/absence of pathologies when deciphering the data:

In addition to ultrasound indicators reflecting the structure of the heart, children are also advised to undergo Doplerometry. The average speed of blood movement is slightly higher than in an adult body, which must be taken into account when deciphering:

• Transmitral current - 0.8-1.3 meters/sec;
• Transcuspid current - 0.5-0.8 meters/sec;
• Transpulmonary current - 0.7-1.1 meters/sec;
• The current in the final parts of the heart is 0.7-1.2 meters/sec.

The assessment of these indicators does not depend on body area and is universal for people under 18 years of age.

Obviously, without an ultrasound scan and its interpretation, the diagnosis of heart pathologies cannot be considered complete. The low cost of the study, high speed of execution (10-15 minutes), the presence of ultrasound machines on the periphery allows every patient to undergo this study. It allows you to evaluate not only the structure of all elements of the heart, but also its contractility. The combination of information content and accessibility makes this method leading in the primary diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases.

The heart is one of the most important organs in maintaining life. Therefore, this organ has a rather complex both structural and functional organization. To diagnose cardiac disorders, many diagnostic methods have been invented or adapted: from examination to contrast tomography. However, not all methods can simultaneously show the state of both the structure and the operation of the most important motor in real time. Such requirements

• Indications and contraindications

  Indications for an ultrasound examination of the heart are usually determined during a clinical examination.

  • Planned for adolescents during periods of intensive growth, athletes, as well as women when planning pregnancy
  • Heart rhythm disturbances
  • Arterial hypertension
  • After acute cardiovascular pathologies
  • Clinical signs of changes in the structure of the heart (expansion of the boundaries of the ventricles and atrium, vascular bundle, pathological configuration, murmurs over valve points)
  • ECG signs of abnormalities in the structure or function of the heart
  • If there is evidence of heart failure
  • For rheumatic diseases
  • If bacterial endocarditis is suspected
  • Suspicion of inflammatory disease of the heart or pericardium for another reason
  • Monitoring the dynamics of treatment or control before and after cardiac surgery
  • Control during pericardial puncture

  There are currently no contraindications to performing ultrasound of the heart, as well as contraindications to performing ultrasound examination.

  There are some restrictions, for example, when performing a transthoracic ultrasound of the heart on people with pronounced subcutaneous fat or injuries in the area of ​​the procedure, or with a pacemaker installed.

  

  There is difficulty in performing an ultrasound in the presence of increased airiness of the lungs, which, expanding, cover the heart, and the change in phases of the medium reflects the ultrasound.

  Preparation

  Before performing a cardiac ultrasound, there is no need for diet or changes in drinking regimen. It is important that anxiety during the procedure can somewhat distort the results, because the heart is an organ that is one of the first to respond to changes in mood.

  The procedure is painless and safe, so there is no reason to worry. Also, before an ultrasound, it is not recommended to use substances that can affect the rhythm and conductivity of the heart (do not smoke 2 hours before). During the procedure, there is a need for anesthesia: local anesthesia of the oral cavity is performed and, if necessary, general anesthesia for insertion of the sensor.

  How is diagnostics carried out?

  Ultrasound examination of the heart can be performed in different ways. The most common uses are transthoracic and transesophageal methods.

  With the transthoracic ultrasound method, the sensor is installed on the sternum in its middle and lower thirds and on the left. The subject lies on his left side. A special acoustic gel is applied to the projection area of ​​the organ being examined to facilitate ultrasound. The procedure usually lasts no more than half an hour.

  Mitral valve insufficiency

  This pathology is characterized by the presence of reverse blood flow (regurgitation) into systole from the left ventricle back to the left atrium: in the mild stage this is 30% of the ejection fraction, in the moderate stage - up to 50%, in the severe stage - most of the atrium volume is filled not with blood from the lungs veins, and from the left ventricle. Compensatory hypertrophy of the left ventricular wall and enlargement of its cavity develop later. Rheumatic diseases most often cause just such a heart defect.

  Tricuspid valve pathologies

  Valvular defects (stenosis and insufficiency) of the tricuspid valve are less common; their ultrasound signs are similar to those of mitral valve defects, with the exception of the absence of manifestations on the left side of the heart in tricuspid stenosis.

  • Aortic defects: stenosis is characterized by a decrease in the area of ​​the aortic opening; over time, thickening of the left ventricular myocardium develops in order to resist the resistance of the leaflets. Aortic insufficiency is characterized by incomplete closure of the valve in diastole and, accordingly, partial regurgitation of blood into the cavity of the left ventricle. The indicators are the same: 30% reflux - for mild severity, 30–50% for moderate severity and more than 50% - severe aortic insufficiency (ultrasound also determines the length of the blood stream thrown into the left ventricle: according to severity levels 5 mm, 5 –10 mm and more than 10 mm).
  • Pulmonary valve defects are similar in manifestations to aortic valve defects, but are much less common.
  • Bacterial endocarditis creates a picture of aortic (usually) insufficiency due to a change in the normal configuration of the valve leaflets. In addition to the heart changes characteristic of aortic insufficiency, the ultrasound picture of the valves reveals bacterial vegetations, which are the basis for the diagnosis.
  • Post-infarction state.

  Myocardial infarction is usually diagnosed using faster and simpler tests (ECG), which allow an acute diagnosis to be made and emergency measures to be initiated. Therefore, it is more important to assess the damage caused to the heart muscle by the pathological process and clarify the source of the infarction.

  Localization of the lesion - determination of the area of ​​the wall of the left ventricle, including scar tissue and areas with reduced or absent motor activity.

  

  Complications of myocardial infarction detected on ultrasound can be: cardiac aneurysm (protrusion of the thinned wall of the left ventricle into the pericardial cavity), rupture of the interventricular septum (equalization of blood pressure in the left and right ventricles), rupture of the heart wall and tamponade (filling of the cavity of the heart sac with blood, an increase in pressure there and disruption of the heart), rupture of the papillary muscle (it holds the mitral valve leaflet, respectively, when the muscle ruptures, ultrasound shows signs of valve insufficiency) and others.

  After a myocardial infarction or during its acute period, conduction or heart rhythm disturbances may appear.

  • Disturbances of myocardial rhythm and conductivity.

  Again, electrocardiography is of decisive importance in making a diagnosis, but ultrasound can be used to clarify the nature of the disorder: clarifying the rhythm of contraction of individual chambers, identifying changes in the structure of the myocardium (post-infarction scar), which may be the cause of various conduction disorders, extrasystoles.

  • Pericarditis.

  Pericarditis can be dry (inflammation of the pericardial sac), effusion (fluid appears in the cavity - exudate) and constrictive (after effusion, pericardial pericarditis can form between the layers of the pericardium, which restrict the movements of the heart). An ultrasound can better determine the accumulation of fluid, which looks like an expansion of the hypoechoic strip around the heart. Also, the purpose of ultrasound is to control the passage of the puncture needle to aspirate this fluid.

  Conclusion

  Ultrasound today is an almost universal method for studying disorders in various body systems, including the cardiovascular system. successfully used to identify both organic and functional pathologies of the heart.

  Ultrasound of the heart occupies a leading place among modern methods of diagnosing cardiac diseases. It is also called “echocardiography” or “echocardioscopy”. Ultrasound examination of the heart is an absolutely harmless procedure that is used for all categories of patients, including children and pregnant women. Cardiac ultrasound, like most ultrasound diagnostic procedures, is a painless procedure; there are no contraindications to it.

  What is research?

  Echocardiography is a non-invasive examination using ultrasound waves. An echocardiographic examination is carried out using a transducer that produces sound waves that pass into the same transducer. The information is transmitted to the computer and displayed as an image on its monitor.

  Ultrasound of the heart is a completely painless procedure

  Echocardiography or ultrasound of the heart allows you to determine and evaluate the following parameters:

  • the structure of the heart and its size;
  • the integrity of the walls of the heart and their thickness;
  • sizes of atria and ventricles;
  • contractility of the heart muscle;
  • valve functioning;
  • condition of the pulmonary artery and aorta;
  • blood circulation of the heart;
  • pericardial condition.

  EchoCG diagnoses various pathologies: hydropericardium, defects, blood clots, neoplasms and circulatory disorders. In addition, thinning or thickening of the walls, expansion or reduction in the size of the chambers are detected, and additional chords are identified in the cavities of the heart.

  EchoCG is performed for all categories of patients suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, such a study is used for diagnostic purposes for the initial detection of cardiac disorders.

  In what cases is ultrasound diagnostics of the heart indicated?

  The need for an ultrasound of the heart arises in such cases as:

  • suspicion of heart defects;
  • the presence of congenital heart defects in close relatives;
  • hypertonic disease;
  • previous myocardial infarction;
  • angina pectoris;
  • suspicion of a heart tumor;
  • diagnosis of aneurysm;
  • cardiomyopathy.

  If you complain of frequent dizziness and fainting, interruptions in cardiac activity, or pain in the chest region, the patient should be referred for an ultrasound of the heart. Persons with an unstable psycho-emotional state and constant physical activity are also recommended to undergo this diagnostic procedure. Based on these data, the results will be deciphered and a diagnosis will be made.

  
  
  
  Chest pain is a good reason to prescribe a cardiac ultrasound

  A referral for diagnostics using ultrasound is given to an adult patient by a therapist or cardiologist. Pathologies can also be detected by chest x-ray - an increase in the size of the heart, a change in its shape, abnormal location, modification of the aorta and pulmonary artery. In these cases, it is also necessary to undergo an echocardiography.

  A woman during pregnancy is often prescribed an echocardiogram in cases where she has high blood sugar levels, or if her immediate family has heart defects. When, during pregnancy, a woman was found to have elevated titers of antibodies to rubella, or she had this disease, or she took special medications in the first trimester, then this is also the basis for an echocardiography.

  In some cases, echocardiography can be done on the fetus in utero to identify defects. Usually this echocardiography is done from 18 to 22 weeks of pregnancy. There are no contraindications for cardiac ultrasound.

  No preparation is required for a cardiac ultrasound; the procedure is performed at any convenient time. The exception is the transesophageal method of examination, in which case you need to prepare as follows: abstain from drinking and eating 5 hours before the procedure.

  Types of ultrasound examination of the heart

  Most often, an ultrasound of the heart is done through the chest, this method is called “transthoracic echocardiography”. Depending on the method of obtaining information, transthoracic echocardiography is divided into one-dimensional and two-dimensional.

  During a one-dimensional study, the data obtained is displayed on the device monitor in the form of a graph. This study provides accurate information about the size of the ventricles and atria, and also evaluates the functioning of the ventricles and valves themselves. In a two-dimensional study, the converted information is presented as a gray-white image of the heart. This type of study provides a clear visualization of the work of the organ and allows one to quite clearly determine its size, the volume of the chambers and the thickness of the walls of the organ.

  There is also such a study of the activity of the cardiac system as Doppler echocardiography. With the help of this study, the characteristics of the blood supply to a vital organ are determined. In particular, during the procedure, the doctor can observe the movement of blood in its various parts and vessels. Normally, blood should flow in one direction, but if there is a malfunction of the valves, the blood may flow in the opposite direction. In addition to identifying this fact, its severity and speed are determined. Doppler examination is prescribed in combination with one-dimensional or two-dimensional echocardiography.

  In addition, there are other methods of examining the heart:

  • If clear visualization of the internal structure of the heart is necessary, then a study with a contrast agent is done - this is contrast echocardiography.
  • If the purpose of echocardiography is to identify hidden pathologies of the heart, then the examination should be carried out during physical activity, since the symptoms of disorders may not appear at rest. This study is called “stress echocardiography” or Stress EchoCG.
  • Ultrasound of the heart can be performed through the esophagus and throat - transesophageal echocardiography or emergency echocardiography.
  
  
  Transesophageal echocardiography is another highly informative diagnostic method for studying the heart.

  How is the cardiac testing procedure performed?

  Echocardioscopy as a procedure does not cause any difficulty for a specialist. The patient must remove clothing from the entire chest so that the doctor has free access to the examination site. To accurately visualize the heart, the patient should lie on the couch on his left side. In this position, simultaneous viewing of all 4 cameras is possible.

  A gel is applied to the heart area, which improves the passage of ultrasonic waves into the organ tissue. An ultrasound diagnostic doctor uses a sensor to receive an image of the organ being examined on the monitor of the device. The sensor is alternately installed in different positions of the chest and records various data.

  Echocardioscopy takes a short time and can be done in 40 minutes. The study protocol is received immediately after its completion.

  Sometimes research data is distorted due to the following factors:

  • excessive obesity;
  • chest deformation;
  • professionalism of the diagnostician;
  • compliance of equipment with quality requirements.

  Echocardiography can be done in public health care institutions and in private, commercial ones. Specific types of research can only be done in specialized institutions equipped with special equipment.

  Results of the study and interpretation of the results

  After completing the EchoCG procedure, the doctor draws up a cardiac ultrasound protocol, which indicates the interpretation of the indicators and makes a conclusion. Decoding is carried out by comparing the norm with the examination data of a particular patient. Here is a table with the average values ​​of normal indicators:

  Object of study	Norms
  Left ventricle (LV)
  - end diastolic size (EDV)	3.4 - 5.6 cm
  - end systolic size (ESR)	2.5 - 4.1 cm
  - diastolic volume	55 - 149 ml
  - systolic volume	18 - 40 ml
  - ejection fraction	60 - 65%
  - shortening fraction	30 - 40%
  - rear wall thickness	0.9 - 1.1 cm
  Thickness of the interventricular septum	0.9 - 1.0 cm
  Right ventricle (RV)
  - cavity size	2.6 - 3.1 cm
  - wall thickness	0.2 - 0.4 cm
  Left atrium	2.5 - 3.6 cm
  Aortic diameter
  - at the level of the sinuses of Valsalva	2.4 - 3.9 cm
  - at the level of the ascending department	2.2 - 3.4 cm

  Decoding the examination and comparing it with normal indicators has important diagnostic significance; only a cardiologist can do this. It must be borne in mind that the norms of ultrasound indicators differ depending on the gender of the subject.

  The transcript includes the following:

  • norms for the ventricles and septum;
  • norms for the atria;
  • valve malfunction;
  • normal for the pericardium.

  Valve dysfunction has three degrees - insufficiency, stenosis and relative insufficiency. Often there is such a deviation as pericarditis - inflammation of the pericardial sac due to the accumulation of fluid there. It is allowed to contain up to 30 ml of liquid. Independent transcription of the study is not allowed.