[Clinical practice guidelines of the Spanish Society of Cardiology on echocardiography]

Rev Esp Cardiol. 2000 May;53(5):663-83.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Doppler echocardiography has become the technique of choice for the diagnosis and follow-up of most heart diseases its main advantages are that it is non-invasive, easy to use, readily available, rapid and has a high cost-benefict ratio. Multiple studies have demonstrated the accuracy of the technique in the diagnosis and severity quantification of the severity of different diseases. Nevertheless, its main limitation lies in the fact that results are operator dependent, and therefore correct training of the echocardiographer is mandatory. In addition, adequate infrastructure and appropriate equipment are a required guarantee quality of the study. Finally, the technique should be used for the indications, in which beneficial information can be yielded. The aim of the present article was to define and update these considerations to enhance the usefulness of echocardiography in clinical practice.

Publication types

  • Guideline
  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cardiomyopathies
  • Chest Pain / diagnostic imaging
  • Echocardiography*
  • Echocardiography, Transesophageal
  • Endocarditis / diagnostic imaging
  • Exercise Test
  • Heart Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Valve Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Myocardial Ischemia / diagnostic imaging
  • Nervous System Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Pericardium
  • Ventricular Function, Left