Pulmonary Hypertension

1. Introduction

1. 1 The BSE Education Committee has previously published a minimum dataset for a standard adult transthoracic echocardiogram, available on-line at www.bsecho.org. This document specifically states that the minimum dataset is usually only sufficient when the echocardiographic study is entirely normal. The aim of the Education Committee is to publish a series of appendices to cover specific pathologies to support this minimum dataset.

1.2 The intended benefits of such supplementary recommendations are to:

• Support cardiologists and echocardiographers to develop local protocols and quality control programs for adult transthoracic study

• Promote quality by defining a set of descriptive terms and measurements, in conjunction with a systematic approach to performing and reporting a study in specific disease-states

• Facilitate the accurate comparison of serial echocardiograms performed in patients at the same or different sites.

1.3. This document gives recommendations for the image and analysis dataset required in patients being assessed for suspected pulmonary hypertension. The views and measurements are supplementary to those outlined in the minimum dataset and are given assuming a full study will be performed in all patients.

1.4 When the condition or acoustic windows of the patient prevent the acquisition of one or more components of the supplementary Dataset, or when measurements result in misleading information (e.g. off-axis measurements) this should be stated.

1.5 This document is a guideline for echocardiography in the assessment of patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension and will be up-dated in accordance with changes directed by publications or changes in practice.

References

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