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Cardiac echocardiogram

This resource gives you an overview of your child’s planned echocardiogram.

You may also hear it being called a ‘transthoracic echocardiogram’, a ‘cardiac ultrasound’ or simply, and an ‘echo’.

What is an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram is a detailed imaging test done by a specialist cardiac sonographer to take a picture of your child’s heart. This is like the scan to see a baby inside a pregnant person’s belly.

To take the pictures, the sonographer will use a very small camera with some ultrasound gel on the tip. They will place this on 4 different locations on your child’s chest to get different angles of their heart.

This is painless and safe, and usually last for around 20 to 30 minutes.

The echocardiogram will give us a very detailed image of the heart chamber size, heart function, heart valves and nearby large blood vessels.

How do we prepare for the test?

Your child should continue to take all of their usual medications and eat and drink as normal.

What should we expect during the appointment?

The specialist cardiac sonographer will take you and your child to the imaging room to do the cardiac ultrasound. They will explain the test to you before they do the imaging.

You can remind your child that it is like the test to see a baby inside a pregnant person’s belly.

We will ask you child to take off their top and put on a hospital gown. Your child will need lay on their back or left side on the couch.

We will then attach stickers to their chest which connects a machine so we can monitor their heart rate during the test.

The lights in the room will be dimmed and you will hear sounds coming from the machine as the scan the blood flow through your child’s heart.

Once the echocardiogram is complete, your child can get dressed and you can get ready to leave.

The results

The sonographer will look at the test results and forward them to the referring doctor.

You may be given the results of this test during your child’s next clinic appointment with their consultant or referring doctor.

Further information

You do not need anaesthetic for this procedure, but it may be relevant if you are in the hospital for other things. Please read our resource for more information about risks of anaesthetics.

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Disclaimer

Please note: this is a generic information sheet relating to care at Sheffield Children’s NHS FT. These details may not reflect treatment at other hospitals. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professionals’ instructions. If this resource relates to medicines, please read it alongside the medicine manufacturer’s patient information leaflet. If this information has been translated into another language from English, efforts have been made to maintain accuracy, but there may still be some translation errors. If you are unsure about any of the guidance in this resource or have specific questions about how it relates to your child, always ask your healthcare professional for further advice.

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Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TH

United Kingdom

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Interesting Facts


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