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Posted on April 1, 2006 by Yong Moma | Posted under Pregnancy
Cardiac Ultrasound For Pediatrics
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The Doppler uses sound waves and measures the direction and speed that the blood is flowing. A Pediatric Cardiologist will combine the Doppler Ultrasound with the Cardiac Ultrasound to get the information they need about an infants heart function. In fact the echocardiogram is the most common test used to diagnose heart disease in children and it is then used to report on children who have been diagnosed with a heart condition. It can be used on fetuses, newborns, and children of all ages. In fact it is also used on adults. Your child will be comfortably lying in bed when the test is done. Often infants can be held by a parent. The test will be normally be done by a cardiac technician although sometimes your pediatric cardiologist may do the test him/herself. Electrodes are placed on the chest and abdomen so that the EKG can be conducted at the same time as the ultrasound is conducted. A small amount of gel is placed on the chest and abdomen and then the transducer is gently ran across the chest collecting the sound waves which are then sent to the computer and the images are displayed on the screen. Pictures of the heart beating are clearly visible as is the flow of the blood. As the transducer is moved the images change. The entire test takes about 30 minutes and the child must remain still to get the desired quality. Young children are often sedated to ensure the needed information can be collected. Once the child is asleep the test is begun. Sedation is very safe but still your child's blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels will be monitored. When your child awakes expect them to be a little sluggish and off balance for a few hours so you will need to carefully watch them. Older kids and especially teens actually like watching the test. After all it's rather cool to see your heart functioning. The test does not hurt except there may be a slight pressure occasionally. There are no known side effects and it is one of the safest tests around. There are several tests that can be conducted to evaluate the condition of the heart and blood vessels: 1. Echocardiogram - which we just talked about uses sound waves to produce the heart beating and to check the strength of the valves and heart muscle.2. Cardiac Doppler - shows the direction and the speed that blood is flowing in the heart and it is also very useful in helping to determine the function of the valves.3. Peripheral Vascular Ultrasound - uses sound waves and it measures the speed that the blood flows in the legs, neck, arms, abdomen, kidneys, and aorta. It will determine whether there are blockages or narrowing of the arteries.4. Arterial Evaluation - This test is done while you are walking on a treadmill so that the effect of exercising can be determined. It is commonly used when angioplasty has been done or stents received.5. Venous Evaluation - Will tell if there are blood clots in the legs or arms.6. Carotid Ultrasound - Uses sound waves and produces colored images of the neck arteries which are used to determine the blood flow to the brain and eyes. There is a carotid artery on each side of the neck and both sides are tested. There 6 tests combined with the cardiac ultrasound provide detailed picture so that the pediatric cardiologist can make wise decisions relating to your child's heart health. About The Author: Yong has been working for a leading ultrasound manufacturer for last 8 years. At At http://www.ultrasoundlive.com he has provide information about different types of utlrassound equipments. Visit the website to get more information about ultrasound equipment and accessories. |
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