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Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain 2008 8(2):46-49; doi:10.1093/bjaceaccp/mkn002
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© The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia [2008]. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Echocardiography in intensive care

Andrew Roscoe, MB ChB FRCA and Tim Strang, MB ChB FRCA
Consultant in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia
and Intensive Care Wythenshawe
Hospital
University Hospital of South Manchester
NHS Foundation Trust
Southmoor Road Manchester M239LT
UK
Consultant in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia
and Intensive Care
Wythenshawe Hospital
University Hospital of South Manchester
NHS Foundation Trust
Manchester
UK
Tel: +44 7796 175748 Fax: +44 161 291 5709 E-mail: andyroscoe@yahoo.co.uk

Key Words: Echocardiography is a useful tool for rapid diagnosis of cardiovascular instability. • Echocardiography should be interpreted by appropriately trained personnel. • The use of echocardiography on intensive care impacts positively on patient outcome. • Echocardiography should not delay treatment of decompensated cardiac tamponade

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Since its inception in the early 1950s by Edler and Hertz, echocardiography has developed from simple amplitude (A) and brightness (B) modes, through motion (M) mode, to the present day real-time 2D and 3D imaging modalities. Its role has extended beyond cardiology into the operating theatres, as a perioperative monitor, and into the realm of critical care and emergency medicine.


   Physics of echocardiography
 
Ultrasound waves are formed when a voltage is applied across a substance with piezo-electric properties. Echocardiography transducers are commonly made from lead-zirconate-titanate-5 (PZT-5). The electric impulses are delivered to the transducer in various patterns to create pulses of ultrasound. Some of this acoustic energy is reflected back to the transducer, which is received by the PZT-5 crystal and is converted back into electrical energy. This signal is then processed and displayed on a monitor.

The frequency used by the transducer affects both the resolution of the image obtained and the . . . [Full Text of this Article]


   Training and accreditation
 

   Indications for TOE and TTE
 

   Impact of echocardiography
 
Preload assessment

Myocardial function

Cardiac tamponade

Thromboembolic disease

Valvular disease

Left ventricular outflow obstruction

Aortic dissection

Trauma

Other pathologies


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