Transthoracic echocardiography - TTE in Pregnant Women

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has been widely used in many areas of medicine but has been slow to become integrated into the general management of pregnant women. The physiological and anatomical changes of pregnancy, as well as consumer preferences, make transthoracic echocardiography an ideal monitor for critically ill pregnant women.

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has been widely used in many areas of medicine but has been slow to become integrated into the general management of pregnant women. The physiological and anatomical changes of pregnancy, as well as consumer preferences, make transthoracic echocardiography an ideal monitor for critically ill pregnant women.

The Role of TTE Monitoring and Measurement Device in Pregnant Women

Transthoracic echocardiography has many advantages for use in pregnant women. Its non-invasive nature means that it is readily accepted by pregnant women. The anatomical changes of pregnancy such as anterior and left displacement of the heart and diaphragmelevation mean that images are relatively easy to obtain.

Echocardiography is recommended as an appropriate investigation (given a class I recommendation for the ASE AUC criteria) in the setting of haemodynamic instability, evaluation of shock and/or hypotension, respiratory failure of suspected cardiac aetiology, chest pain and haemodynamic instability with known or suspected pulmonary embolism in all clinical settings. It is important to consider echocardiography in critically ill pregnant women, given that cardiac disease is now the leading cause of maternal mortality.

To effectively use transthoracic echocardiography in critically ill pregnant women it is important to gain experience scanning healthy pregnant women in order to develop an understanding of the range of changes in echocardiographic features that may occur in pregnancy. It is also important to have the technology as readily available in obstetric settings as in other adult acute care settings.

The Graduate Master of Clinical Ultrasound covers in detail the methods and usage of TTE in the pregnant women. Find out more here and take the opportunity to enhance your diagnostic skill set.

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