Pediatric Echocardiography
What
is Pediatric Echocardiography?
An
echocardiogram is a test that uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound)
to create an image of the hearts' internal anatomy. A Doppler test
uses sound waves to measure blood flow. By combining these tests, a
pediatric cardiologist gets useful information about the heart’s anatomy
and function.
Pediatric
echocardiography is mainly used for the detection of congenital heart
defects in infants and children. It is also used for the evaluation
of murmurs and is an essential tool to evaluate the effectiveness of
medical therapy and surgical treatments.
About 40,000
children are born with a heart defect each year. Most of these children
can benefit from surgery even if the defect is severe. When surgery
is necessary, many medical treatments are available to help the heart
work properly.
The two
types of heart disease in children are "congenital" and "acquired." Congenital
heart disease (also known as a congenital heart defect) is present
at birth. Some defects in this category are patent ductus arteriosis,
atrial septal defects and ventricular septal defects. Acquired heart
disease, which develops sometime during childhood, includes diseases
such as Kawasaki disease, rheumatic fever and infective endocarditis.
Completion
of the Montgomery Community College Echo track will prepare you to
sit for the American
Registry for Diagnostic Medical SonographyARDMS)
examination and become a credentialed RDCS (Registered Diagnostic Cardiac
Sonographer). Links:
For more information on common congenital heart defects visit the Mayo
Clinic and for echo images of congenital heart defects
visit the University
of Kansas Medical Center.
Society
of Diagnostic Medical
Sonographers The
(SDMS) was founded in 1970 to promote, advance, and educate its members
and the medical community in the science of Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
American
Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS)
is an independent, nonprofit organization that administers examinations
and awards credentials in the areas of diagnostic medical sonography,
diagnostic cardiac sonography and vascular technology.
Joint
Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography The
mission of the JRC-DMS and its sponsoring organizations is to cooperate
to establish, maintain, and promote appropriate standards of quality
for educational programs in diagnostic medical sonography and to
provide recognition for educational programs that meet or exceed the
standards.
Commission
on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
is the largest programmatic/specialized accreditor in the health
sciences field. In collaboration with its Committees on Accreditation,
CAAHEP reviews and accredits more than 2000 educational programs
in twenty-one health science occupations across the United States
and Canada.
For
more information about earning potential and work environment for
sonographers, visit the
Inside
Scoop.
Images:
 |
 |
 |
| Mitral Valve
Displasia |
Child Getting
an Echo |
Parasternal
Short Axis |
 Back to Top
|
