Pediatric Echocardiography
What is Pediatric Echocardiography?
Echocardiography (echo) is a procedure used to assess the heart's
structures and function.
Pediatric echocardiography is mainly used for the detection of
congenital heart defects. It is also used for the evaluation of
murmurs and is an essential tool to evaluate the effectiveness of
medical therapy and surgical treatments.
An echocardiogram is
a test that uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to create
an image of the heart's internal anatomy. Two-dimensional
echocardiography is often combined with Doppler ultrasound and color
Doppler ultrasound to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of the
heart.
Echocardiography is the use of ultrasound to examine and measure the
structure and functioning of the heart.
How is echocardiography performed?
In echocardiography, a small probe called a transducer is placed on
your child's chest and sends out ultrasonic sound waves at a
frequency too high to be heard. When the transducer is placed in
certain locations and at certain angles, the ultrasonic sound waves
move through the skin and other body tissues to the heart tissues,
where the waves bounce (or "echo") off of the heart structures. The
transducer picks up the reflected waves and sends them to a
computer. The computer interprets the echoes into an image of the
heart walls and valves.
The test is performed by a pediatric echocardiographer (a
technologist with extensive training and certification in
echocardiography) and is interpreted by a pediatric cardiologist who
is also specially trained in pediatric echocardiography. The
examiner will put a few stick-on patches called electrodes on the
patient for an EKG (electrocardiographic) tracing during the exam.
He or she will also put a small handheld device (called a
transducer) on the chest and abdomen. It sends and receives the
sounds waves and is connected by cable to the ultrasound machine.
The ultrasound machine is a computer that converts sounds waves to
pictures. A small amount of clear gel is used between the transducer
and chest to make sure there is proper skin contact. The exam is
completely painless and usually lasts less than 30 minutes. No
preparation is necessary for the examination.
Why is echocardiography performed on a child?
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.
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.
For more information
about earning potential and work environment for sonographers, visit the
Inside
Scoop.
Links:
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 accreditation 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:
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| Mitral Valve
Displasia |
Child Getting
an Echo |
Parasternal
Short Axis |
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