Echocardiography of the heart (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 under the following conditions:
• Abnormal heart murmur on auscultation;
• symptoms of right or left ventricular failure;
• heart rhythm disturbances;
• ischemic heart disease;
• chest injury;
• suspected aortic aneurysm;
• septic conditions;
• Antibacterial treatment for cancer patients.
How a heart echocardiogram is done
Before this study, patients do not need special preparation. 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 during theECHO-KG:
• the mouth of the aorta is studied in the projection of the long cardiac axis;
• in the projection of the short cardiac axis, the state of the aortic valve, pulmonary artery, left atrium, pulmonary valve and right ventricle, as well as the mouth of the coronary arteries "looks";
• riding (or four-chamber) position, when the sensor is installed at the level of the apex of the heart (in the area 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 these two indicators), as well as the ejection fraction;
• five-chamber position is used to determine the speed of blood flow in the aorta;
• The dual chamber position is needed to refine measurements of the left ventricular cavity.
It should also be said that cardiac echocardiography allows you to determine specific coefficients: cardiac index and left ventricular mass index. These indicators are important for assessing the work of the heart, depending on the weight and height of a person.
Cardiac echocardiography benefits
Among the main benefits of this cardiac examination are the following:
• availability;
• speed;
• non-invasive technique (does not require breaking the integrity of the skin);
• informative;
• does not require special training;
• can be performed multiple times, as it does not pose a danger to the life or he alth of the patient.
I must say that whenechocardiography of the heart is performed, the rate of the results obtained depends on the age and gender of the patient. So, the dimensions of the heart chambers, the pressure in them, as well as the wall thickness or other parameters in patients of various categories will not be the same.
If you need an echocardiography of the heart, the price for this examination can range from 800-1800 rubles, depending 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. To date, modern equipment is used that allows you to get an image already during the procedure itself and effectively detect signs of heart failure.
