Transthoracic echocardiography is an essential test in the evaluation of patients with suspected structural
and functional cardiac conditions. When used appropriately it facilitates rapid diagnosis and timely
intervention for patients. The BSE have previously issued detailed guidance, aimed at hospital and
specialist referrers, regarding the indications for, and optimal timing of, outpatient, inpatient, and critical
care transthoracic echocardiography.
However, we also recognise that very often the most useful information in primary care is to know
the clinical conditions in which transthoracic echocardiography is not routinely indicated at the time
of initial clinical contact. These conditions are grouped by symptom or clinical finding below for rapid
reference by General Practitioners for use in primary care settings. This guidance is not intended
to override clinical judgment in individual cases and has chiefly been created to support situations
where clinical judgement favours avoiding further investigation.
We are delighted that our work on referring for echocardiography was published in the British Journal of General practice in July 2021. You can download the PDF of the article here:
PDF version
You can download the poster here:
Digital version
Print-ready version
You can download the secondary care triaging poster set here:
Digital version