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Functional Echocardiography in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

  • Rational Diagnostics
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Abstract

The role of functional echocardiography in neonatal intensive care unit is rapidly evolving, and increasingly neonatologists are using it in making clinical decisions in sick infants. Functional echocardiography can provide a direct assessment of hemodynamics on bedside, and may be considered as an extension of the clinical examination to evaluate cardiovascular wellbeing in the critically-ill infant. The physiological information may be used in targeting specific intervention based upon the underlying pathophysiology. Functional echocardiography is being used for diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, patent ductus arteriosus, hemodynamic evaluation, assessment of cardiac function, and recognition of pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade in the neonatal intensive care setting. Despite of its increasing popularity, there is a paucity of structured training programs for neonatologists to acquire skills in echocardiography. This review article discusses clinical applications of functional echocardiography in the neonatal intensive care unit.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Neonatal Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK

    Yogen Singh

  2. Department of Neonatology, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns, San Diego, California, USA

    Anup Katheria

  3. Pediatric Cardiologist, Centre de Pediatrie, Clinique des Grangettes, 7 ch des Grangettes, 1224 Chêne-Bougeries, Geneva, Switzerland

    Cecile Tissot

  4. Box 402, NICU, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, Switzerland

    Yogen Singh

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  1. Yogen Singh
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  2. Anup Katheria
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  3. Cecile Tissot
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Correspondence to Yogen Singh.

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Singh, Y., Katheria, A. & Tissot, C. Functional Echocardiography in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Indian Pediatr 55, 417–424 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-018-1286-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-018-1286-4

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