TAVR Day: What to Do and When to Do It
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) volumes have more than tripled over the past decade, driving a rapid expansion of the sonographer’s responsibilities. While most echocardiography education concentrates on post‑procedure follow‑up, the day‑of‑procedure imaging—baseline, intra‑procedural, and immediate post‑deployment—directly influences complication detection. The article outlines a structured workflow for sonographers, covering pre‑procedural baseline studies, real‑time guidance during valve deployment, and rapid assessment once the prosthesis is seated. Mastery of these steps is becoming essential for safe, efficient TAVR programs.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: The Stiffness You Shouldn't Miss
Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) can cause severe breathlessness despite a normal ejection fraction and thin ventricular walls. The article breaks down four echocardiographic steps—diastolic filling pattern, under‑reported 2D findings, strain imaging, and right‑heart clues—to spot the disease early. By applying these...
Qp:Qs = 2.29. Now What?
The post highlights that calculating a Qp:Qs ratio of 2.29 is straightforward, but interpreting it correctly is where most sonographers stumble. Without the broader clinical picture, the ratio can misguide diagnosis and treatment planning. The author promises a step‑by‑step guide...
Qp:Qs Explained: Quantifying Hemodynamic Significance in Shunt Lesions
The article explains how to calculate the pulmonary‑to‑systemic flow ratio (Qp:Qs) using four standard Doppler measurements, turning a visual guess into a quantitative decision tool. It outlines clinical thresholds that separate observation from intervention for atrial septal defects, ventricular septal...
LVOT Accuracy & the Continuity Equation: Why Close Enough Isn't Good Enough
The post warns that a single‑millimeter error in left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) diameter can dramatically misclassify aortic stenosis (AS) severity, shifting a case from moderate to severe or vice‑versa. LVOT measurement feeds the continuity equation, the cornerstone for calculating...
Quadricuspid Aortic Valve: The Diagnosis Hiding in Your Short-Axis View
The article highlights the quadricuspid aortic valve, a rare congenital anomaly often mistaken for a bicuspid valve. Because sonographers rarely look for four cusps, the condition is mislabelled, allowing aortic regurgitation to progress unchecked. By focusing on the short‑axis echocardiographic...
Help Us Build What You Actually Need
The Echo Journal announced a brief, three‑question poll exclusively for its paid subscribers, aiming to capture real‑time preferences in under 30 seconds. The initiative seeks to replace internal assumptions with direct audience input, guiding future editorial and product decisions. By...
Quantifying MR: The Stroke Volume Method
The stroke volume method quantifies mitral regurgitation by comparing mitral inflow stroke volume to left‑ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) stroke volume. It calculates regurgitant volume, fraction and effective orifice area using Doppler‑derived measurements that are already captured in routine echo studies....
Mitral Regurgitation: PISA, Vena Contracta, Grading & Clinical Pearls
Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valvular disease, appearing on nearly every cardiac echo. While detection is routine, accurate quantification using PISA and vena contracta remains a skill gap for many sonographers. ASE and EACVI guidelines now provide clear...
Ventricular Septal Rupture: The Echo That Changes Everything
Ventricular septal rupture (VSR) is a rare but life‑threatening complication that sonographers may encounter only a few times in their careers. The article explains how VSR forms, why the defect’s location influences treatment, and which echocardiographic signs signal its presence....
Constrictive Pericarditis: The Echo Findings You Can't Afford to Miss
Constrictive pericarditis (CP) remains one of the most diagnostically challenging cardiac disorders. While most clinicians recognize the septal bounce on echocardiography, few appreciate the tissue Doppler and annular velocity signatures that reliably separate CP from restrictive cardiomyopathy. The post offers...
Atrial Septal Defect Assessment with Echocardiography
The Echo Journal outlines a systematic approach to assessing atrial septal defects (ASDs) using echocardiography, emphasizing the three anatomical regions of the interatrial septum—central, inferior, and superior. It details how each region correlates with specific defect types, such as ostium...
The Displaced Valve: Recognizing Ebstein's Anomaly on Echo
Ebstein's anomaly is a congenital malformation where the tricuspid valve remains tethered to the ventricular wall, causing apical displacement. The condition may be identified at birth or remain silent until adulthood, often presenting as right‑heart remodeling on imaging. Echocardiography is...
Tricuspid Stenosis: An Echocardiographic Guide
Tricuspid stenosis (TS) is an exceptionally rare right‑sided valve obstruction that often goes unnoticed on routine transthoracic echocardiography. Although its hemodynamics mirror mitral stenosis—producing a diastolic pressure gradient and leaflet doming—its low prevalence makes accurate detection challenging. Echocardiography now supersedes...
The Infiltrator: Recognizing Cardiac Amyloidosis on Echo
Cardiac amyloidosis affects up to a quarter of people over 80 yet remains largely undiagnosed. Characteristic echocardiographic signs—including thickened walls, restrictive filling patterns, and the apical‑sparing strain signature—allow clinicians to suspect the disease early. Differentiating the three amyloid subtypes on...