Giornale italiano di cardiologia
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Echocardiography is the cardiological diagnostic test the use of which has increased most in recent years. However, despite the popularity and the massive use of the technique, there is little information regarding the usefulness and management impact of echocardiography as routinely ordered in current medical practice. Furthermore, clinical indications and expectations of physicians who ordered an echocardiogram (echo) have never been systematically evaluated in our country. ⋯ GPs ordered echoes mainly for screening or to evaluate suspected cardiac abnormalities for the purpose of reassuring their patients or documenting the presence or absence of a cardiac disease. C ordered echoes to evaluate clinically suspected cardiac abnormalities or to reassess known cardiac diseases with the purpose of modifying patients' therapy or clinical management. One echo out of 3 gave clinically unsuspected results. In 1 echo out of 2 clinical assessment of the severity of the most common morpho-functional cardiac abnormalities was cha