Echo Contrast Defined.
Echo Contrast is a technique used to more clearly define or enhance difficult to visualize areas of the heart during an echocardiogram. The technique uses microbubbles which are very small lipid spheres filled with a gas. When injected into a vein in the arm the microbubbles mix with and travel in the blood to the heart. In the heart the microbubbles are highly reflective to ultrasound, much more so than the structures in the heart. The microbubbles, therefore, are clearly seen as a distinct contrast to adjacent heart structures, allowing the borders between the structures and the blood/microbubble filled heart chambers to typically be seen much more clearly than on an unenhanced image.
What To Expect.
If the decision is made to employ Echo Contrast and you agree to its' use, an IV will be started in your arm through which the Contrast solution is injected. Echo pictures are then taken in the same manner as before the administration of the Echo Contrast solution.
There are a wide variety of reasons some echocardiogram images are difficult to obtain. Body characteristics such as obesity, chest shape and size, and rib space sizes often make obtaining images difficult. Various diseases such as lung disease and the complexity of known heart disease also often play a part in determining imaging difficulty. Yet at times some people simply do not image as well as others for reasons that are simply not evident.
Is Echo Contrast Safe?
Side-effects and contraindications for the use of Echo Contrast are rare. If you have questions or concerns about its' use, please speak with your doctor.
Links to Addtional Informtion.
Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound
The American Society of Echocardiography