title: [What does echocardiography contribute to heart failure?].
abstract: When examining patients with heart failure, it is often impossible to assess the underlying cardiac disease only on the basis of clinical examination, electrocardiogram and chest X-ray. As an additional noninvasive method, echocardiography provides a high level of diagnostic accuracy for heart diseases. Different cardiologic ultrasound methods and procedures, applied in patients with heart failure during a modern echocardiographic routine examination, are shown. Despite an increasing availability of this imaging technology, inappropriate use without clear indication must be avoided. Criteria of indication are discussed, followed by an illustrating case report.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Kardiologie, Kantonsspital Luzern.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maire
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002313:Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003971:Diastole; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right
vernacular_title: Was bringt die Echokardiographie bei Herzinsuffizienz?