Chloe's "EHCO"

Chloe had a an echo cardiogram done (also known as an “ECHO”)today. An echo cardiogram is an ultrasound that uses high frequency to view the heart. The echo cardiogram is non-radioactive. It is also safe and harmless procedure that helps the doctors to diagnose any heart problems that your child may have. I would strongly suggest you talk to your child’s doctor about having an echo cardiogram done to ensure that there are no problems especially if your child has Heterotaxy.
The pictures of the child’s heart are viewed on a small monitor while the procedure is taking place. The room is kept very dark so they can see the heart. Their will be no needles or probes and everything is done from the outside of the child’s body. The “ECHO” is like a sonogram that pregnant women have before the child is born to view the unborn child’s organs, heart and blood vessels. The “ECHO is done while your child’s lies down on a hospital bed and will be titled slightly around so they can see the different views of the heart and blood vessels around the heart. The majority of Children’s Hospitals are equipped with a televisions, video records, and videotapes to help keep ones child entertained. Chloe got to watch the Little Mermaid. They will ask you to undress your child from the waits up and they may even give you a short gown for your child to wear. A warm gel is used in order to improve the quality of the pictures. This gel is colorless and does not have an odor. The gel is applied around the chest area where the heart is located. An instrument called a transducer is used to send sound waves into the chest for which bounce off the different parts of your child’s heart. The transducer will be moved over the chest, abdominal area, and neck in order to get the images the cardiologist wants to see. The computer sends the information from the transducer to make an image of the heart. Then the image is displayed on a monitor called an echocardiogram machine and is recorded on CD or inputted into the hospitals main frame for other doctors to view within the hospital. A child may feel scared or discomfort from the pressure on the transducer; however, this varies from child to child and the age of the child. Pediatric echosongraphers are trained to work with children and should have the knowledge and patients on how to make your child feel comfortable without any pain. You may hear some sounds from the ECHO machine. These sounds are blood flowing from one chamber to another and the valves opening or closing as the blood passes through. You will also see colors are monitor. These colors are not the colors of the blood in the heart. The color shows them what direction the blood is flowing. The red color shows the blood is flowing towards the transducer and the blue color shows the blood is flowing away from the transducer.
The ECHO used to demonstrate the structure of the components of the heart. This is also used for measuring the size and thickness of the heart chambers, how the heart is handling the pumping of ones blood through the chambers, and blood flow through the heart valves. This is important because it can find structural abnormalities of your child’s heart. Such as, holes between the chambers, fluid around one’s heart, and a mass inside the heart. This will also show valve shape, motion, narrowing or leaking. Your child might have preparations before and after an echo cardiogram is done (this may depend on the age of your child). For instances, a child 4 years or less may require sedation for the echo cardiogram. Your child’s cardiologist will let you know what he thinks is best for your child in order to have the procedure done. As far as I can tell Chloe’s echo cardiogram went very well. I don’t foresee any problems that they found.
After Chloe’s “ECHO” she had blood work. Chloe dislikes blood work and cried for a ½ hour in the waiting room. It was a challange for them to draw blood. Chloe was also seen by her GI doctor and they increased her prevacid to 2 tablets/twice a day (once in the morning & once at night).