Clinical applications of left ventricular opacification

Abstract

The significant advances made in ultrasound microbubble technology now permits reliable, reproducible left ventricular opacification, and this review reiterates the evidence that has shown contrast echocardiography to be clinically effective, to reduce downstream costs and to spare patients further, potentially hazardous investigations. Despite the evidence and the advances, there remains ambivalence towards the administration of contrast agents in echocardiography laboratories throughout the world, particularly in the performance of rest studies. Therefore, this review also addresses some of the reasons for the suboptimal uptake of contrast agents and encourages physicians, sonographers, and accreditatory bodies to adopt a different approach towards the difficult-to-image patient.