Echocardiography

Echocardiography – one of methods of ultrasonic diagnosis applied to researches of functional and morphological changes of heart and its structures. This diagnostic method allows to estimate a condition of heart valves in the visualization mode. Ekhokardiogramma is widely applied to early diagnosis of cardiological diseases that gives the chance in time to reveal pathology.

Indications to carrying out an echocardiography of heart

Performing ultrasound examination of heart is appointed at:

• Noise of various degree and localization in heart;
• Feverish conditions of the uncertain reason;
• Detection of changes on an ECG;
• Suspicions on existence of the inborn or acquired heart diseases;
• Visible disturbances on the roentgenogram – at increase in the sizes of heart or its structures, a modified aorta, accumulation of kaltsinat;
• Arrhythmias, including felt;
• Hereditary serious pathologies of cardiovascular system;
• Complaints to faints, stethalgias, hypostases of legs, severe short wind and frequent dizzinesses;
• Increase in arterial pressure;
• The postponed myocardial infarction;
• Suspicion on existence of a tumor of heart, and also on expansion of chest department of an aorta.

The echocardiography of heart allows to reveal existence of new growths and to diagnose various defeats. In addition the ekhokardiogramma is used for monitoring of a state at an ischemic disease, inborn heart diseases, after the postponed heart attack, at a cardiomyopathy and arterial hypertension.

Also the echocardiography of heart is recommended to pass at the regular sports trainings and other occupations causing the strengthened load of heart or at constant emotional pressure. At children's age, in the course of snowballing and growth at the child, and especially at suspicions of inborn heart disease, the ekhokardiogramma is also appointed.

Fruit echocardiography

The inborn heart diseases which are one of the main reasons for perinatal mortality can be diagnosed by a fruit echocardiography method. This procedure is harmless to a fruit and allows to estimate an endocardiac hemodynamics in the pre-natal period, and also to exercise dynamic control of indicators throughout pregnancy at identification of systolic noise in heart. This method of an ekhokardiogramma of heart and vessels is often applied to assessment of a condition of bodies till the child's birth that allows to make timely the diagnosis and to begin treatment practically right after the birth. The fruit echocardiography in details inspects heart and blood vessels, revealing inborn disturbances in its work.

If necessary the echocardiography of a fruit is carried out on 18 – 22 week of pregnancy. Indications to purpose of diagnosis are:

• Inborn heart diseases at relatives;
• Abortions before the current pregnancy;
• Diabetes mellitus;
• Reception of antibiotics, and also medicines from epilepsy in the first trimester;
• The deviations recorded on planned ultrasonography of a fruit on the 20th week.

Interpretation of an echocardiography of a fruit is carried out by cardiologists or the doctor geneticist.

Methods of carrying out echocardiography of heart

Depending on indications the echocardiography of heart can be carried out by several methods allowing to estimate various parameters:

• Echocardiography in the M-mode – the sizes of heart and systolic work of ventricles;
• Two-dimensional echocardiography – thickness of walls and the sizes of cardial cavities, contractility of ventricles, a condition of valves, and also existence or absence of thrombosis of cavities;
• Transesophageal – a back wall of heart, usually after the postponed heart attack of the lower wall of heart;
• Intravascular ultrasound – a condition of coronary vessels;
• Volume modeling of heart;
• Doppler research – the central dynamics;
• Stress – the changes of various segments of heart caused by exercise stresses;
• Contrast echocardiography – a condition of cameras of heart.

Interpretation of an echocardiography is carried out by the cardiologist. On the basis of the carried-out diagnosis the researcher more than hundred initial and settlement indicators are possible and to estimate objectively:

• Contractility;
• State and function of valves;
• Functional condition of a myocardium;
• Existence of endocardiac blood clots;
• Indicators of pumping function and contractility of a left ventricle in dynamics;
• Sizes of cardial cavities;
• Thickness of walls of heart;
• Existence of hems;
• Degree of a hypertrophy of heart cameras.

Contraindications to carrying out an echocardiography

Echocardiography – the safe diagnostic procedure which does not have absolute contraindications. However at deformation of a thorax which interferes with normal diagnosis and also some allergic and inflammatory damages of skin in heart, its carrying out can be difficult.