Some preparations before echocardiography that you need to know

Echocardiography, also known as cardiac ultrasound, is a procedure to see the work of the heart. Those of you who have never done this procedure may be wondering, are there any pre-echocardiography preparations that need to be done? For that, consider the following reviews by getting to know the types of echocardiography in advance.

Overview of echocardiography

Echocardiography is a test that uses ultrasound to evaluate your heart. Usually doctors need echocardiography to see the overall function of your heart, including looking at valve function and detecting heart disease. There are several types of echocardiography, namely:

Transthoracic echocardiography

This procedure is a standard cardiac examination by attaching a transducer (a pregnancy ultrasound-like device) to the chest and transmitting high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound). These sound waves will reflect and produce images and sound that can be used by doctors to observe the structure of the heart, assess its function, and detect damage and disease in the heart.

Transesophageal echocardiography

This test requires a transducer to be inserted into the esophagus because the esophagus is located close to the heart, so the doctor can get a clear picture of the structure of the heart without obstructing the lungs and chest. This type of echocardiography is needed in some heart conditions to see certain parts of the heart more clearly.

Stress echocardiography

This test is also called stress test, done by visualizing the motion of the heart wall during stressful conditions. This test is usually done by having the patient walk on treadmill. This test can provide information on whether your heart has adequate blood and oxygen intake from circulation in the event of physical stress that may not show up on the EKG at rest. Echocardiography is done just before and just after exercise.

Dobutamine stress echocardiography

This procedure is another form of stress echocardiography. The difference is, this stress is obtained by giving drugs that stimulate the heart and make him think that he is exercising. This test is used to evaluate heart and valve function when you are unable to exercise the above treadmill.

It is also used to determine how well your heart tolerates activity and your likelihood of developing coronary artery disease as well as to assess how effective your heart treatment plan is.

Intravascular ultrasound

Is a test performed during cardiac catheterization. During this procedure, a transducer is inserted into the blood vessels of the heart through a catheter in the groin. It is often used to provide detailed information about atherosclerosis (blockage) inside the blood vessels.

What are the preparations for echocardiography?

Different types of echocardiography have different preparations. You can ask the doctor concerned before the echocardiography preparation. However, generally there are some preparations before echocardiography that are usually ordered, namely:

Transthoracic echocardiography

This procedure does not require any prior preparation. You can eat, drink, and take medication as prescribed by your doctor as usual.

Transesophageal echocardiography

In this procedure, the doctor usually asks you to do several things, namely:

Do not eat and drink for at least 6 hours before the test. This is done to avoid vomiting that may occur during the procedure due to inserting a device into the esophagus. However, you are allowed to brush your teeth beforehand.
You also need to tell your doctor if you have problems swallowing, as this could affect your doctor's decision to perform this procedure.
Ask for assistance from your family or someone closest to you when you come to the hospital to do this procedure. Transesophageal echocardiography uses a sedative in the process, which ensures that you won't be able to drive yourself afterward.
Tell your doctor if you have dentures so the doctor can remove them first.

Stress echocardiography

Source: https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/stress-test/

Before doing this procedure there are a number of things you need to prepare, namely:

Do not eat or drink anything but plain water four hours before the test begins.
Do not eat or drink caffeinated products such as soda, coffee, and tea for 24 hours before the test. Including over-the-counter drugs that contain caffeine because these substances can interfere with your test results.
Do not take heart medication for 24 hours before starting the test, unless your doctor recommends it or that medication is needed to treat your chest discomfort such as Beta-blockers (Tenormin, Lopressor, Toprol, or Inderal), Isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil, Sorbitrate), Isosorbide mononitrate. (Ismo, Indur, Monoket), Nitroglycerin (Deponit, Nitrostat, Nitropatch).
Your doctor may also ask you to stop taking other heart medications at the time of the test. In essence, do not stop any medication without first consulting your doctor.
Use comfortable clothing and shoes to perform this test.
If you are using an inhaler to help with breathing, take it with you during the test.

Dobutamine stress echocardiography

Preparation before carrying out this test is similar to stress echocardiography, namely:

Do not eat or drink anything but plain water four hours before the test begins.
Do not eat or drink caffeinated products such as soda, coffee, tea, or medicines with caffeine for 24 hours before the test.
If you have a pacemaker, then consult your doctor for further instructions.
Do not smoke on the day of the test as nicotine will affect the test results.
Do not take medications that can slow the heart down for 48 hours before starting the test, including beta blockers.
Use comfortable clothing and shoes to perform this test.
Bring all the medicines you have while the test is in progress.
Do not do any strenuous activity the day before the test.

Intravascular ultrasound

Here are the preparations you need to do before doing intravascular ultrasound:

Do not eat or drink anything for the previous four to eight hours. However this depends on your doctor, consult this before.
Tell your doctor about the drugs you are taking and what diseases you have.
If you are pregnant, tell your doctor whether this procedure is safe for the fetus. The same thing you need to ask if you are breastfeeding.
There are usually asked to remove clothes and replace them with the clothes provided. Usually you are also asked to remove any metal objects on your body that could interfere with the X-ray image.
Ask for assistance from family and loved ones when doing this procedure because you will usually be given sedatives and cannot go home alone. So you need assistance.

You should make preparations before echocardiography according to the type of procedure you are performing. Don't hesitate to consult a doctor if there are things that are still on your mind regarding this procedure.