Echocardiograms are commonly performed to check for abnormal heart sounds, look at the heart valves, check the thickness and movement of the heart wall, measure the size and shape of the heart’s chambers, detect heart disease, and look for blood clots.
This imaging method has many other diagnostic applications as well. During an echocardiogram, a transducer sends high-pitched sound waves into the chest and picks up the echoes as they reflect off the heart. These echoes are sent to a video screen to be displayed in motion.
An echocardiogram collects an abundance of data, including the size and shape of the heart, the pumping capacity, and the location of any tissue damage. The Intersocietal Commission for Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) provides standards for echo measurements.
Ventricular Dimensions
One data set that an echocardiogram provides is ventricular dimensions. These measurements are often gathered in M-mode or 2D echocardiography and commonly include the following types:
- IVSd and IVSs – Interventricular septal end diastole and end systole. The normal range is 0.6-1.1 cm.
- LVIDd and LVIDs – Left ventricular internal diameter end diastole and end systole. The normal range for LVIDd is 3.5-5.6 cm, and the normal range for LVIDs is 2.0-4.0 cm.
- LVPWd and LVPWs – Left ventricular posterior wall end diastole and end systole. The normal range is 0.6-1.1 cm.
- RVDd – Right ventricular end diastole. The normal range is 0.7-2.3 cm.
- Ao Root Diam – Aortic root diameter. The normal range is 2.0-4.0 cm.
- LA Diameter – Left atrium diameter. The normal range is 2.0-4.0 cm.
The IVSd and IVPWd measurements are used to determine left ventricular hypertrophy, which is the thickening of the muscle of the left ventricle. LV hypertrophy is a marker for heart disease. In general, a measurement of 1.1-1.3 cm indicates mild hypertrophy, 1.4-1.6 cm indicates moderate hypertrophy, and 1.7 cm or more indicates severe hypertrophy.
PACS Reporting Benefits with AccessPoint
AccessPoint offers customizable templates that are based on accreditation-compliant metrics. The reporting tool can generate the custom forms and systematically log echo results such as the ventricular measurements listed above. This feature automatically provides comprehensive data in the preferred format so that the cardiologist can quickly and easily interpret the report.
