Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Apr 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyRelationship between echocardiographic and magnetic resonance derived measures of right ventricular size and function in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
Transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) imaging is the mainstay of clinical practice for evaluating right ventricular (RV) size and function, but its accuracy in patients with pulmonary hypertension has not been well validated. ⋯ Echocardiographic estimates of RV volume (by RV end-diastolic area) and function (by RV fractional area change and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion) offer good approximations of RV size and function in patients with pulmonary hypertension and allow the accurate discrimination of normal from abnormal.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Apr 2014
ReviewIntraoperative transesophageal echocardiography for surgical repair of mitral regurgitation.
Surgical repair of the mitral valve is being increasingly performed to treat severe mitral regurgitation. Transesophageal echocardiography is an essential tool for assessing valvular function and guiding surgical decision making during the perioperative period. ⋯ A guide to performing a systematic transesophageal echocardiographic examination of the mitral valve is provided, along with an approach to prerepair and postrepair assessment. Additionally, the anatomy and function of normal and regurgitant mitral valves are reviewed.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Apr 2014
Comparative StudyIncremental value of the en face view of the tricuspid valve by two-dimensional and three-dimensional echocardiography for accurate identification of tricuspid valve leaflets.
In this study, advanced postprocessing of three-dimensional echocardiographic (3DE) data sets was used to identify tricuspid valve (TV) leaflets in two-dimensional echocardiographic (2DE) views, and the feasibility of the subcostal view to obtain 2DE en face views of the TV, as an alternative imaging option to image reconstruction from 3DE imaging, was also tested. ⋯ High variability in TV leaflet anatomy and the dependence on transducer position do not allow schematic leaflet identification. All existing TV leaflet identification schemes are therefore only partially correct, and if correct leaflet identification is needed, the use of an en face view is recommended.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Mar 2014
Development and evaluation of methodologies for teaching focused cardiac ultrasound skills to medical students.
Handheld ultrasound is emerging as an important tool for point-of-care cardiac assessment. Although cardiac ultrasound skills are traditionally introduced during postgraduate training, the optimal time and methodology to initiate training in focused cardiac ultrasound (FCU) are unknown. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel curriculum for training medical students in the use of FCU. ⋯ Third-year medical students were able to acquire FCU image acquisition and interpretation skills after a novel training program. Self-directed electronic modules are effective for teaching introductory FCU interpretation skills, while expert-guided training is important for developing scanning technique.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Mar 2014
Right ventricular function in acute pulmonary embolism: a combined assessment by three-dimensional and speckle-tracking echocardiography.
The aim of this study was to assess changes in right ventricular (RV) parameters determined by three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography and speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with acute pulmonary embolism and RV dysfunction without systemic hypotension (submassive pulmonary embolism). ⋯ Acute submassive pulmonary embolism has a significant impact on RV function as assessed by 3D echocardiography and speckle-tracking echocardiography. Decreases in MFW RVLS and 3D RVEF may persist during short-term and long-term follow-up and correlate with unfavorable outcomes.