Clinical practice of contrast echocardiography: recommendation by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) 2017
Roxy Senior, Harald Becher, Mark Monaghan, Luciano Agati, Jose Zamorano, Jean Louis Vanoverschelde, Petros Nihoyannopoulos, Thor Edvardsen, Patrizio Lancellotti, EACVI Scientific Documents Committee for 2014–16 and 2016–18, EACVI Scientific Documents Committee for 2014–16 and 2016–18, Victoria Delgado, Alessia Gimelli, Bernard Cosyns, Bernhard Gerber, Erwan Donal, Frank Flachskampf, Kristina Haugaa, Nuno Cardim, Pier Giorgio Masci, Roxy Senior, Harald Becher, Mark Monaghan, Luciano Agati, Jose Zamorano, Jean Louis Vanoverschelde, Petros Nihoyannopoulos, Thor Edvardsen, Patrizio Lancellotti, EACVI Scientific Documents Committee for 2014–16 and 2016–18, EACVI Scientific Documents Committee for 2014–16 and 2016–18, Victoria Delgado, Alessia Gimelli, Bernard Cosyns, Bernhard Gerber, Erwan Donal, Frank Flachskampf, Kristina Haugaa, Nuno Cardim, Pier Giorgio Masci
Abstract
Contrast echocardiography is widely used in cardiology. It is applied to improve image quality, reader confidence and reproducibility both for assessing left ventricular (LV) structure and function at rest and for assessing global and regional function in stress echocardiography. The use of contrast in echocardiography has now extended beyond cardiac structure and function assessment to evaluation of perfusion both of the myocardium and of the intracardiac structures. Safety of contrast agents have now been addressed in large patient population and these studies clearly established its excellent safety profile. This document, based on clinical trials, randomized and multicentre studies and published clinical experience, has established clear recommendations for the use of contrast in various clinical conditions with evidence-based protocols.
Keywords: contrast agents; contrast echocardiography; echocardiography; left ventricular function; left ventricular structure; myocardial contrast echocardiography; safety of contrast agents; stress echocardiography.
Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Source: PubMed