Author name: Cardioserv

Echo Accreditation Standard Updates

The Intersocietal Accreditation Commission updated the standards and guidelines for Adult Echo accreditation  in July 2017 with a December 1, 2017 effective date.  The main changes to the adult echo standards is the mandate (versus option) to evaluate diastolic function on all studies, and to report on it.  With this requirement followed the requirements for all ultrasound equipment to have Tissue Doppler Imaging capabilities.  

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Understanding the Basics: Evaluating Diastolic Function

Diastolic function is a complex process that simply refers to how well the heart performs during diastole, as blood is suctioned from the left atrium (LA) towards the apex of left ventricle (LV) at a low-pressure filling state. When the heart is unable to fill properly, filling pressures increase in order to allow proper filling and keep required cardiac output state. When these filling pressures increase, diastolic dysfunction occurs.

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Is Contrast Echo Safe for the Critically Ill Patient?

“Isn’t there a black box warning for contrast?” “I don’t feel comfortable giving contrast to my ICU patient” “The patient has acute coronary syndrome, I don’ think you should give contrast”  These are just a few of the responses you may face from an ICU nurse or critical care staff in response to your decision to perform a contrast echocardiogram.  So what’s the deal?

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