Basics of Echocardiography || Sonomastery

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Ultrasound Training
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Basics of Echocardiography

By Prof. Mulenga Cuthbert
09/Sep/2025
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Course Description

What is an echocardiogram? An echocardiogram, or "echo", is a scan used to look at the heart and nearby blood vessels. It's a type of ultrasound scan, which means a small probe is used to send out high-frequency sound waves that create echoes when they bounce off different parts of the body. These echoes are picked up by the probe and turned into a moving image on a monitor while the scan is carried out. An echocardiogram may be requested by a heart specialist (cardiologist) or any doctor who thinks you might have a problem with your heart, including your GP. How is the test carried out? The test will usually be carried out at a hospital or clinic by a cardiologist, cardiac physiologist, or a trained technician called a sonographer. What is the difference between an ECHO and EKG/ECG? Although it has a similar name, an echocardiogram is not the same as an electrocardiogram (ECG), which is a test used to check your heart's rhythm and electrical activity. When is an echocardiogram used? An echocardiogram can help diagnose and monitor certain heart conditions by checking the structure of the heart and surrounding blood vessels, analysing how blood flows through them, and assessing the pumping chambers of the heart. An echocardiogram can help detect:

damage from a heart attack – where the supply of blood to the heart was suddenly blocked
heart failure – where the heart fails to pump enough blood around the body at the right pressure
congenital heart disease – birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart
problems with the heart valves – problems affecting the valves that control the flow of blood within the heart
cardiomyopathy – where the heart walls become thickened or enlarged

-endocarditis – an infection in the lining of the heart which damages the heart valves