March 2002

A document addressing adult transthoracic echo would be timely and could serve the following purposes: 1) Promote quality by defining the basic core of measurements and statements which constitute the report, 2) Encourage the comparison of serial echocardiograms performed in patients at the same site or different sites, 3) Improve communication by expediting development of structured report form software, and 4) Facilitate multicenter research and analyses of cost-effectiveness. The purpose of this report is not to define how to record a proper adult cardiac ultrasound examination or how to perform the measurements but, rather, to serve as a guideline to what measurements and descriptive items should be included.