Revised 08/2008

DMS 250 - Echocardiography II (4 CR.)

Course Description

Presents advanced study of echocardiography with concentration on case study reviews of normal anatomy, physiology, and pathologic conditions of the adult heart. Lecture 3 hours. Laboratory 3 hours. Total 6 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

The purpose of this course is for the advanced studies of echocardiography. Instruction and demonstration is provided for scanning the adult heart. 

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

The student must satisfactorily complete all previous sonography courses with a grade of "C" or better.

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • Identify arrhythmias in the basic 12-lead EKG strips
  • Understand the significance of the 12 EKG leads and what abnormalities can be detected
  • Recognize the EKG changes that result from infarction, hypertrophy and axis deviations
  • Describe the circumstances of a cardiac emergency
  • Understand the various responsibilities of the personnel responding to a cardiac emergency
  • Discuss the pharmacological agents used during a code
  • Discuss the purpose of defibrillation and cardioversion and explain their differences
  • List the classes and understand the basic function of cardiac drugs
  • Discuss differences of preload and afterload and how they are treated
  • Recognize the symptoms of coronary artery disease
  • Understand the methods for diagnosing coronary artery disease
  • Discuss the differences between exercise and pharmacologic stress echocardiography
  • Describe the purpose of exercise/pharmacologic stress echocardiography
  • Describe the patient’s condition that lead to a pacemaker insertion
  • Understand the pacemaker insertion procedure
  • Recognize the different types of pacemakers and their different functions
  • Discuss the transesophageal echo (TEE) procedure
  • Identify the circumstances when a TEE would be performed
  • Evaluate TEE images
  • Discuss the purpose of using contrast during a TEE exam
  • Identify cardiac anatomy from TEE imaging
  • Identify pediatric echocardiographic windows
  • Identify pediatric echocardiographic views
  • Discuss the various types of intra and extra-cardiac tumors
  • Describe benign and malignant cardiac tumors
  • Recognize location and physiologic effects of cardiac tumors
  • Describe benign and malignant cardiac tumors
  • Recognize the various forms of cardiac masses
  • Discuss the diseases related to cardiac masses
  • Identify patients at risk of developing endocarditis
  • Understand hypertension and its effects on the heart
  • Identify the echocardiographic features of longstanding hypertension

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Cardiac Tumors
  • Arrhythmias and Conduction Disturbances
  • Congenital Heart Disease in the Adult
  • Diseases of the Aorta
  • Doppler-Formulas for Measurement
  • Color Flow Mapping
  • Stress Echo