Applications of echocardiography

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Do Xuan Chien and Master, Doctor Hoang Thi Hoa - Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

With ultra-modern ultrasound using contrast agents, now it is still going step by step in parallel research, development, and development to support more accurate assessment of movements along with irrigation. blood to the heart wall.

Contrast echocardiography - a method of conducting ultrasound combined with the delivery of a contrast agent to the blood vessels, helping to detect the structure of the heart, along with the flow of echocardiography of the heart (through the chest wall, through the esophagus).
This contrast agent is used in ultrasound, the nature of the air bubbles is extremely small (only 2 to 6μm), even smaller than the size of red blood cells, that's why it easy to circulate in the blood vessels. The distribution of blood vessels with the same structure, then the organs in the body overview, or between each tumor and different organization creates a difference in the density distribution for the contrast agent, making Contrast in ultrasound images, along with ease of structural differentiation, increases the accuracy of ultrasound. At the same time, the contrast agent is eliminated mainly through the lungs, so it is possible to use the ultrasound method for patients with kidney failure, liver failure.
When conducting echocardiography, the contrast agent will be injected into the veins and then returned to the heart: usually it will go to the right atrium, then to the right ventricle, and then to the arterial area of ​​the heart. lungs, making the heart structure sound. When there are right and left shunts, the sound-blocking bubbles will then push to the left chambers of the heart, we will see the light on the heart chambers, showing that the left and right shunts appear at that time.
To this day, despite the availability of color Doppler ultrasound, self-replicating contrast agents are still used effectively, especially in tracing shunts inside the heart.
Along with the great development in advanced ultrasound technology are: second level harmonization, endothelial motor Doppler, myocardial Doppler, 3D ultrasound ... surely in the future there will be many more useful contributions to the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular screening, ischemic heart disease - this disease accounts for the highest proportion of cardiovascular diseases in the country and worldwide at present. now.

Typical applications of echocardiography with echocardiography include:
Cardiovascular diseases of congenital origin: tracing shunts in the heart chambers, in blood vessels... Assists in determining the structure of the heart, and assessing evaluate the movements of the heart wall, especially in cases where the image in two-dimensional ultrasound is blurred and of poor quality. Exploration, checking the status of perfusion to the myocardium: using micro-bubble contrast agents. Assists in exploration of pericardial cavities, and pericardial puncture. Support to increase Doppler signal when probe all flow. Specific indications:
Cardiovascular diseases of congenital origin: usually self-made contrast agents are used: atrial septal defect, oval septal defect, ventricular septal defect, ductal artery, vein with malformations, Arteriovenous and venous access to the lungs.... other pathologies: 2 right ventricular outflow tracts, arterial inversion, intrapulmonary valve atrophy, tricuspid valve atrophy, or single ventricular...
Support in determining the structure of the heart such as:
Right heart: in case the image of 2D ultrasound is not good, simple or self-made contrast agents can help clarify the structure of the heart : right ventricle, right atrium, vena cava, tricuspid valve, ... Left heart: Normally, microbubbles must be used with microbubbles to help when inserted into the veins, they can through the capillaries of the lungs to the chambers of the left heart region, and clarify the structure of the heart, and the size of the heart chambers, the heart wall, through which it will be clearer how the heart wall moves. Investigate and check the status of the perfusion of the myocardium:
Microbubbles block the sound with microscopic size after being inserted into the vein, then to the right heart area, then to the pulmonary artery area, passing through the capillaries down to the left heart region, eventually can reach the coronary artery and then to the myocardium, making the myocardium more echogenic.
Assist in the exploration of the pericardial cavities, and pericardial puncture:
Inject the contrast agent when performing the pericardial puncture, accompanied by ultrasound guidance to confirm correct position of the needle tip, and determine whether the needle is in the pericardial cavity of the heart.
Contrasts assist in stimulating Doppler signals at all-flow probes:
In particular, when contrast is introduced into the regulatory probe of tricuspid regurgitation, it helps to assess the arterial pressure of the patient. In the lungs, the contrast medium now transmits powerful Doppler signals supporting accurate assessment and conclusions.

Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has also applied echocardiography technique to screen the heart
Currently, Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital has also applied echocardiography technique. for cardiovascular screening and cardiovascular diseases, typically congenital heart disease.
This technique is performed by leading cardiologists. The medical examination department at the hospital is fully equipped with modern equipment to support doctors in medical examination and treatment, giving a high accurate diagnosis rate.
Contrast echocardiography with microbubble contrast is a new scientific advance applied in effective cardiovascular screening and heart diseases.