Echocardiography Techniques Flashcards

Which Doppler modality is best suited for measuring high-velocity jets such as severe aortic stenosis?

Answer: Continuous-wave Doppler

Continuous-wave Doppler has no aliasing limit and can accurately measure high-velocity jets exceeding 4 m/s.

In M-mode echocardiography, which measurement is used to calculate fractional shortening?

Answer: Left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters

Fractional shortening = (LVEDD − LVESD) / LVEDD × 100%, derived from M-mode LV diameter measurements.

The apical four-chamber view is obtained with the transducer placed at the cardiac apex oriented to display which structures simultaneously?

Answer: Both ventricles and both atria

The apical four-chamber view displays all four cardiac chambers and both atrioventricular valves in a single plane.

Which artifact appears as a bright linear echo parallel to a strong reflector and is caused by reverberation between the transducer and a highly reflective surface?

Answer: Comet tail artifact

Comet tail (ring-down) artifacts are reverberation echoes from metallic or calcified structures appearing as bright linear trails.

When performing a subcostal echocardiographic view, which structure is best visualized to assess for pericardial effusion?

Answer: Posterior pericardium adjacent to the right ventricle

The subcostal view provides an excellent window to assess effusion posterior to the right ventricle and around the cardiac apex.

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) of the mitral annulus is used primarily to assess which parameter?

Answer: Myocardial velocities and diastolic function

TDI measures annular velocities (e', a', s') to evaluate myocardial motion and estimate left ventricular filling pressures.

Which formula is used to calculate cardiac output using Doppler echocardiography?

Answer: CO = LVOT area × LVOT VTI × Heart rate

Cardiac output = LVOT cross-sectional area × left ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral × heart rate.