Echocardiography: principles of interpretation

Abstract

Doppler echocardiography allows the serial, noninvasive collection of quantitative hemodynamic information. When coupled with the results of physical examination, thoracic radiographs, ECG, and routine cross-sectional and M-mode echocardiogram, DE helps identify the nature as well as the severity of cardiac disease. As more experience is gained with DE, more applications will be discovered and the indications for more invasive diagnostic tests including cardiac catheterization will diminish.