Further Information
How does my child prepare for an Echocardiogram?
On the day of the echocardiogram, your child can eat and drink as they normally would.
What happens during a Transthoracic Echocardiogram?
Your child will be asked to remove their clothing from the waist up. Your cardiac physiologist (sonographer) will place three electrodes (small, flat, sticky patches) on their chest. The electrodes are attached to an electrocardiograph monitor (ECG) that charts the heart’s electrical activity.
The sonographer will ask your child to lie on their left side on an exam table. He or she will place a wand (called a sound-wave transducer) on several areas of the chest. The wand will have a small amount of gel on the end, which will not harm their skin. The gel is used to help produce clearer pictures.
Sounds are part of the Doppler signal. Your child may or may not hear the sounds during the test. They will be asked to change positions several times during the exam to allow the sonographer to take pictures of different areas of their heart. They may also be asked to hold their breath at times during the exam.
Your child should feel no major discomfort during the test, although they will feel coolness from the gel on the transducer and a slight pressure of the transducer on their chest.
What are the risks of an Echocardiogram?
There are no risks from an echocardiogram.
