Set 11 Flashcards
When using the Continuity Equation for aortic valve area, when should you not use the peak velocities for V1 and V2?
When using the Continuity Equation for aortic valve area and the patient has either a low EF or moderate to severe AI you should use VTI (Velocity Time Integral) instead of the peak velocities for V1 and V2
What are the 4 components that make up an MR jet?
The 4 components of MR are:
- Zone of convergence
- Vena contracta
- Size of the jet by color flow
- Systolic flow into the pulmonary veins
Which of these components gives you the greatest hemodynamic information for severity of the mitral regurgitation?
A. Zone of convergence
B. Vena contracta
C. Size of the jet by color flow
D. Flow into the pulmonary veins
D. The greatest hemodynamic information is obtained by Dopplering the pulmonary veins to check for systolic flow reversal. This would indicate the presence of severe mitral regurgitation
What is the vena contracta?
The vena contracta is the narrowest part of a color Doppler jet
How is the size of the vena contracta used in evaluating regurgitation?
For mitral and tricuspid valves, if the size of the vena contracta is >0.7 cm, this indicates severe regurgitation.
For aortic regurgitation, the cut off for severe is >0.6 cm
What is pulse pressure?
Pulse pressure refers to the difference between the patients systolic and diastolic blood pressures
In what clinical cases might a patient have abnormal pulse pressures?
Patients with aortic stenosis often have a narrow pulse pressure, while patients with aortic regurgitation will have a wide (big difference) pulse pressure
What are 4 indications for performing an exercise stress echocardiogram?
4 indications for performing an exercise stress echo are:
- Aid in the diagnosis of chest pain
- Determine the severity of coronary disease
- Guide post MI rehab
- Evaluate exercise induced arrhythmias
Name 4 contraindications for stress echoes
4 contraindications for performing an exercise stress echo are:
- Unstable angina
- Recent acute myocardial infarction
- Aortic stenosis
- Acute aortic dissection
In evaluating wall motion by echo, what is meant by the term “akinesis”?
Akinesis in echo means 2 things:
- The wall is not moving
- The wall is not thickening during systole
Kids with Tuberous Sclerosis are prone to what kind of cardiac problems?
Kids with Tuberous Sclerosis or Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) develop benign tumors in multiple organs, especially the brain
In the heart they develop Rhabdomyomas which are also the most common cardiac tumor seen in kids vs myxomas which are the most common in adults
An outpatient is in the Echo lab for a TEE exam. What position should the patient be in prior to the physician inserting the probe?
For outpatients undergoing a TEE exam, the best position is the left lateral decubitus
How would you position a patient who has an aortic stenosis in order to use the PEDOF (no imaging) probe along the right sternal border?
The patient should be rolled up into the right lateral decubitus position in order to optimize the Doppler spectral trace from the right sternal border
