Congestive heart failure and the role of two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography: a primer for cardiac sonographers.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) has been an increasing cause of hospitalization, particularly among the elderly population, although the clinical presentation may vary in the individual patient. Two-dimensional and pulsed Doppler echocardiography can be valuable diagnostic methods for the assessment of afflicted patients and can have an impact on patient outcome. The unique advantage of echocardiographic techniques is their ability to characterize left ventricular systolic performance and diastolic filling abnormalities that are commonly present in patients with CHF. This review provides current information the cardiac sonographer can recognize in the assessment of patients with CHF.
Waggoner
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AD
Washington University School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left