Summary: Gerhardt, a 58-year-old male, presents to the doctor’s office with a low pulse rate, often times as low as 28bpm, and a feeling of sleepiness. Patient denies dyspnea, chest pain as well as palpitations. Physical examination revealed a high pulse pressure of 70 mm Hg, mid-systolic murmur and an occasional mid-diastolic sound suggestive of structural heart abnormalities.
Question: What is an echocardiogram and how is it used diagnostically?
Generate:
Echocardiography is a modality that uses sound waves to visualize the structures of the heart. In general, a transducer emits high-pitched ultrasound waves (4-30 MHz) which bounce off different parts of the heart; the echoed sound waves are then used to generate a moving image.1 Three modes are utilized in the imaging of the heart: two-dimensional (2D) imaging, motion mode (M-mode) and Doppler imaging.1 Two-dimensional imaging allows for the view of the structures in a real-time cross-sectioned view, and motion mode is a one-dimensional imaging used for fine measurements. Doppler imaging compares the frequency changes between transmitted and reflected sound waves, and uses that to determine blood flow velocity. …show more content…
Pulse pressures that exceed 40 mm Hg, like in the case of Gerhardt, is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as mitral valve regurgitation or valvular pulmonic stenosis.2,3 The presence of the soft mid-systolic murmur near the upper left sternal border was also suggestive of valvular pulmonic stenosis.3 However, Gerhardt’s prolonged PR interval of 0.62 seconds, bradycardia and systolic murmur could also be due to an increased vagal tone commonly seen in
Question: What is an echocardiogram and how is it used diagnostically?
Generate:
Echocardiography is a modality that uses sound waves to visualize the structures of the heart. In general, a transducer emits high-pitched ultrasound waves (4-30 MHz) which bounce off different parts of the heart; the echoed sound waves are then used to generate a moving image.1 Three modes are utilized in the imaging of the heart: two-dimensional (2D) imaging, motion mode (M-mode) and Doppler imaging.1 Two-dimensional imaging allows for the view of the structures in a real-time cross-sectioned view, and motion mode is a one-dimensional imaging used for fine measurements. Doppler imaging compares the frequency changes between transmitted and reflected sound waves, and uses that to determine blood flow velocity. …show more content…
Pulse pressures that exceed 40 mm Hg, like in the case of Gerhardt, is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as mitral valve regurgitation or valvular pulmonic stenosis.2,3 The presence of the soft mid-systolic murmur near the upper left sternal border was also suggestive of valvular pulmonic stenosis.3 However, Gerhardt’s prolonged PR interval of 0.62 seconds, bradycardia and systolic murmur could also be due to an increased vagal tone commonly seen in