An echocardiography is a painless ultrasound scan of the heart designed to examine the chambers, valves and major blood vessels. It is used to screen for hypertension, clots, infections, valve leakages and to check the heart chamber function. Sound waves are passed through the chest wall and ‘bounce’ back from the structures, providing two dimensional images using ultrasound.
No special preparations are required for this test. You will be provided with a gown to wear as all clothing from the waist up must be removed. The test is conducted lying down on a bed with electrodes attached to your shoulders and chest attached with wires. A colourless painless gel is then applied to the chest allowing the technician to take pictures from various areas of your chest. You maybe asked to momentarily hold your breathe as this improves the quality of the pictures. The procedure takes between 15-30 minutes.
The results are sent to the referring GP or Consultant within 48 hours.
