How to perform ultrasound of the heart and its arterial and venous connections

Patient positioning

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  Semi-recumbent position on the left side with the head elevated

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  Left arm under the head or the pillow

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  Right arm on the right side

Operator positioning

• Right-handed operator: The operator sits on the patient’s right side with the transducer in the right hand and uses the left hand to operate the ultrasound system.

• Left-handed operator: The operator sits on the patient’s left side facing the patient with transducer in the left hand and uses the right hand to operate the ultrasound system.

Echocardiographic windows

Standard imaging windows used in transthoracic echocardiography are: (1) parasternal, (2) apical, (3) subcostal, and (4) suprasternal ( Fig. 5.1 ). From each imaging window, several different imaging views can be further obtained.