Cardiac echocardiography: features of this examination and indications for its conduct

Cardiac echocardiography (ECHO-KG) - an ultrasound examination in which you can assess the condition of the valves of this organ, the size of its cavities and wall thickness, as well as the features of the myocardium. In addition, this examination allows you to determine the direction and speed of blood flow inside the heart and pressure in the pulmonary artery. ECHO-KG is used in the following conditions:

• pathological heart murmurs detected by auscultation;

• symptoms of right or left ventricular failure;

• heart rhythm disturbances;

• coronary heart disease;

• chest injuries;

• suspected aortic aneurysm;

• septic conditions;

• treatment with antibacterial drugs in patients with cancer.

Before this study, patients do not need special training. To conduct an ultrasound of the heart, a special sensor is used that generates a beam in the form of a sector.

I must say that there are several positions that are used when conducting ECHO-KG:

• the mouth of the aorta is studied in the projection of the long cardiac axis;

• the state of the aortic valve, pulmonary artery, left atrium, pulmonary valve and right ventricle valve, as well as the mouth of the coronary arteries “look” in the projection of the short heart axis;

• the upright (or four-chamber) position, when the sensor is installed at the level of the apex of the heart (in the region of the 4th intercostal space), makes it possible to fix the volume of the left ventricle during contraction and relaxation, stroke volume (the difference between the two indicators), as well as the ejection fraction;

• five-chamber position is used to determine the speed indicators of blood movement in the aorta;

• a two-chamber position is needed to clarify the measurements of the cavity of the left ventricle.

It must also be said that cardiac echocardiography allows the determination of specific factors: cardiac index and left ventricular mass index. These indicators are important for assessing heart function depending on the weight and height of a person.

Among the main advantages of this heart examination are the following:

• availability;

• speed of carrying out;

• non-invasive technique (does not require violation of the integrity of the skin);

• informational content;

• does not require special training;

• can be carried out repeatedly, since it does not pose a threat to the life or health of the patient.

It must be said that when cardiac echocardiography is performed, the norm of the results obtained depends on the age and gender of the patient. So, the sizes of the heart chambers, the pressure in them, as well as the wall thickness or other parameters in patients of various categories will be far from the same.

If you need an echocardiography of the heart, the price of this examination can vary between 800-1800 rubles, which depends on the locality and the level of the medical institution where it will be performed.

The duration of the entire examination generally does not exceed 15 minutes. Today, modern equipment is used that allows you to get an image already during the procedure itself and to effectively detect signs of heart failure.