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This Week - E : Echocardiogram

Why an echocardiogram is done

You'll usually have an echocardiogram to either:

• check if your symptoms could be caused by a heart condition
• check how well your heart is working if you have a heart problem or have had heart problems in the past

For example, it may be done to check your heart after a heart attack or to diagnose conditions like heart failure, heart valve disease or congenital heart disease.

Preparing for an echocardiogram

You may be able to eat and drink as usual on the day of your echocardiogram.

But if you need a more detailed scan where a thin tube is passed into your mouth, you may be asked to stop eating and drinking before the scan. You will be told if this applies to you.

Let the person doing the echocardiogram know if you'd like someone else to be in the room with you (a chaperone). This could be someone you know, a nurse or a trained member of staff.

What happens at an echocardiogram

An echocardiogram is usually done in hospital by a healthcare professional called a sonographer.

The scan works by using soundwaves (ultrasound) to create an image of your heart, similar to an ultrasound scan used during pregnancy.

The most common type of echocardiogram is called a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE).

For this type of echocardiogram:

1. You'll be asked to take off your clothes on the top half of your body and given a gown to wear.
2. You'll be asked to lie back on a couch or bed and sticky patches will be placed on your chest to check your heart rate.
3. Sometimes you'll be given an injection of a small amount of liquid (contrast agent) into a vein in your arm. This helps makes your heart and blood vessels show up more clearly on the scan.
4. The sonographer will then apply a gel that helps the scan work better. This may be put on your chest or on the ultrasound device.
5. The sonographer will then slowly move the ultrasound device over your chest. The scanner makes a loud swishing sound as it works and the scan takes around 30 to 40 minutes.

Other types of echocardiogram

There are also other types of echocardiogram that are sometimes used:

• exercise or stress echocardiogram - similar to a transthoracic echocardiogram, but you're asked to use a treadmill or exercise bike (or given a medicine that has a similar effect to exercise on your heart) and another scan is done afterwards to check how your heart is working
• transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) - where a thin tube containing a small ultrasound device is passed into your mouth and down into your oesophagus (gullet or foodpipe) to create a more detailed image of your heart

A TOE is not painful, but people can find it uncomfortable.

The back of your throat will be numbed with an anaesthetic spray.

You can also ask to be given sedative medicine before having it.

This means you will not be asleep, but you will be very drowsy, with little awareness of what is going on around you.

After an echocardiogram

If you were injected with liquid for the scan (contrast agent) you may be asked to wait for up to 30 minutes to make sure you do not have a reaction to it.

If you were given a sedative to make you drowsy for the scan, you'll be taken to a recovery room to recover. Someone will need to collect you from the hospital and take you home by car or taxi as you should not drive for 24 hours.

If you had a transoesophageal echocardiogram, then your throat may be sore but this should pass within 1 to 2 days.

Getting your echocardiogram results

Sometimes, your doctor may be able to talk to you about your echocardiogram results on the same day you have the scan.

You'll usually be given another appointment after the scan to talk about your results in detail with your doctor.

They'll explain what the scan found and if you might need any other tests or treatment. Ask questions if you're not sure about anything you've been told.

If you've not heard anything about your results after a few weeks, contact the doctor who referred you for the scan.

Find out more

• British Heart Foundation: echocardiogram

If you want to find out more about this week's subject you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.