What Is a Transthoracic Echocardiogram?

Echocardiography refers to the application of the principle of ultrasonic ranging to measure the periodic activities of structures such as the heart wall, ventricles, and valves through the chest wall and soft tissues. The curves are recorded with a recorder, which is called an echocardiogram. ^[1]

Echocardiogram

Echocardiography refers to the application of the principle of ultrasonic ranging to measure the periodic activities of structures such as the heart wall, ventricles, and valves through the chest wall and soft tissues. The curves are recorded with a recorder, which is called an echocardiogram. ^[1]

Echocardiography is an examination using the special physical characteristics of ultrasound

The probe emits an ultrasound beam, and through the various layers of the heart, the reflected echo is received in the gap between the probe's ultrasonic waves, converted into electrical energy by the positive piezoelectric effect, and then detected and amplified, and displayed on the fluorescent screen as light spots of different strength The ultrasonic pulse continuously penetrates the tissue and generates echoes. The sound waves reflected at different times are displayed on the phosphor screen as a series of longitudinally arranged light spots according to the order of the reflection interface. The horizontal deflection plate of the slow scanning circuit enables the longitudinally arranged light spots to be scanned from left to right on the oscilloscope screen, presenting continuously fluctuating curves and graphics (Figure 1). The abscissa is time, and the light spots reflected by the various layers of the heart structure expand with time, that is, a position and time curve chart showing distance, time, amplitude, and light spot strength is formed.

M-mode echocardiogram

The patient was lying supine or left, breathing calmly. The probe is placed in the 3rd or 4th intercostal space of the left margin of the sternum, and the fixed point is applied after the coupling agent is applied, or the probe is scanned by arc rotation. Scan from the bottom of the heart to the apex, if necessary

Divided by type, it has the following applications

Heart and large blood vessel structure

M-type echocardiography and two-dimensional echocardiography can observe the structure of the heart and large blood vessels in real time.

A: anterior; P: posterior; R: right; L: left; RVOT: right ventricular outflow tract; RA: right atrium; TV: tricuspid valve; PV: pulmonary valve; AV: aortic valve; LA : Left atrium; LCC: left coronary valve; RCC: right coronary valve; NCC: no coronary valve; RV: right ventricle; IVS: ventricular septum; IAS: atrial septum; AML: anterior mitral valve; PML: Posterior mitral valve; MVO: mitral valve opening; PW: posterior wall; DAO: descending aorta; AO: aorta; LV: left ventricle; APEX: apex; BASE: basal base; ATL: anterior tricuspid valve Leaves; STL: tricuspid septum; PPM: posterior papillary muscle; SV: sampling volume.