Guidelines for Performing a Comprehensive Transthoracic Echocardiographic Examination in Adults: Recommendations from the American Society of Echocardiography
Since the first report of the use of ultrasound for cardiovascular diagnosis by Edler and Hertz in 1954, echocardiography has expanded exponentially over the ensuing decades. The history of echocardiography is one of continuous innovation. With each discovery of new technology, the echocardiographic examination has progressively become longer, more comprehensive, and integrated with more diverse technology. In some circumstances, refined technology has completely replaced old methods. In other circumstances, new technology is incorporated to enhance existing capabilities. The purposes of this document are to (1) establish the content of a comprehensive TTE examination, (2) provide recommendations for technical performance and appropriate use of instrumentation during the examination, (3) provide guidance for the integration of the various ultrasound-based imaging modalities into the comprehensive examination, and (4) describe best practices for the measurement and display of the data generated by the comprehensive examination. It should be noted that pathology specific measurements are beyond the scope of this document.
