Echocardiography And Positions (Information For Students)

I often get asked why an echocardiogram is so detailed.  I will be succinct   I want the best possible believable information possible.  What does that mean?  We sonographers are taught to never believe anything we see on an ultrasound test unless we see it in two orthogonal planes.  I preach this to my students.  I never say a patient has a mitral valve vegetation unless I see it in at least 2 planes.  I am still wary.  I am the doubting Thomas.  I am pleased to say most of my students become extremely aware of the hazards of calling a lesion, or missing one.  We echocardiographers are meticulous and very much detail minded.  The complete trans-thoracic echocardiogram is a work of meticulous art.  It is very much a profession, but it is redundant for good reasons.  We want to do the best possible job to enable the cardiologist to make an accurate diagnosis if possible, thus the many positions that are displayed in video clips.  I hope this helps you wonderful people who are striving to become registered echocardiographers.  Please, become registered.

Here are some links:

Echo views:   https://www.stanford.edu/group/ccm_echocardio/cgi-bin/mediawiki/index.php/Main_views

Registries:  http://www.ardms.com/  I am certified with this agency

Cardiovascular Credentialing International:  http://www.cci-online.org/http://www.cci-online.org/

If you need education, contact me by E-mail.  I have been an ultrasound teacher for 13 years.

Take the profession seriously.  Get registered.

Peace, Gizz