Echocardiogram
An ultrasound of the beating heart. It shows chamber size, how forcefully the heart pumps, and the condition of the valves.
What it measures
- What it measures
- Ultrasound shows the heart beating in real time: the size and thickness of the chambers, the ejection fraction - how much blood leaves with each beat - and how the four valves work, including leaks and narrowing.
- Duration
- Between 30 minutes and 1 hour
- Preparation
- No fasting. Bring any previous test results and the list of medicines you take.
- What it feels like
- Warm gel is applied to the chest and a transducer is moved across it. No radiation, no needles. You may be asked to hold your breath for a few seconds.
- Referral from another doctor
- No
- Results
- Same day
- Where it is done
- In the office
What it shows
Frontal section. As in any anatomical plate, the patient’s right is on the left of the drawing. The wall proportions are real; the overall size is not to scale.
The four chambers
- AD
- Right atrium
- AI
- Left atrium
- VD
- Right ventricle
- VI
- Left ventricle, with the thicker wall
The four valves
- 01
- Tricuspid, from the right atrium to the right ventricle
- 02
- Pulmonary, from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery
- 03
- Aortic, from the left ventricle to the aorta
- 04
- Mitral, from the left atrium to the left ventricle
If the electrocardiogram reports on the heart’s electrical system, the echocardiogram reports on its mechanics. It is the test for shortness of breath when walking or lying down, for a murmur found on examination, and for following years of high blood pressure.
The most sought-after number is the ejection fraction. A healthy heart pushes out about half or more of the blood in its left ventricle with every beat; when that percentage drops, there is a cause to find and treatment to adjust.
It is also the test that documents what sustained high blood pressure has done to the heart muscle - something a patient does not feel until it is already advanced.