CCVTC case studies
CCVTC · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Cardiovascular and Thoracic Sonographer (CCVTC) credential is a professional certification for sonographers who perform ultrasound evaluation of the heart and the surrounding thoracic and extracardiac structures. It is aimed at technologists who want a single credential demonstrating competence across both cardiac and thoracic imaging rather than in echocardiography alone. The exam samples broadly across six content areas: cardiac anatomy and physiology; extracardiac and thoracic anatomy and physiology; instrumentation and ultrasound principles; the performance and interpretation of cardiac and thoracic sonographic examinations; pathology and disease states; and patient care, safety, and ethics. Expect multiple-choice items that test applied reasoning as much as recall - recognizing a hemodynamic pattern, choosing the correct transducer or window, or identifying the safety or ethical response to a clinical scenario. The CCVTC case studies are 5 cases and about 3,421 words.
1The Discrepant Aortic Valve Area
A 74-year-old man with a history of hypertension and a 3-year history of exertional dyspnea is referred for echocardiography. His blood pressure at the time of the study is 168/92 mmHg.
643 words, about 3 min2The Narrowed Mitral Valve and the Fast Heart Rate
A 58-year-old woman with a history of rheumatic fever as a child presents with progressive dyspnea on exertion and palpitations. During the echocardiogram her heart rate is 104 bpm in atrial fibrillation.
626 words, about 3 min3The Pericardial Effusion with Tamponade Physiology
A 66-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer presents with progressive dyspnea, fatigue, and hypotension. Blood pressure is 88/62 mmHg with a pulsus paradoxus of 16 mmHg.
677 words, about 3 min4The Underestimated Regurgitant Jet
A 61-year-old man with a history of infective endocarditis is referred for evaluation of mitral regurgitation. The echocardiogram shows a flail posterior mitral leaflet.
702 words, about 4 min5The Technically Difficult Study
A 45-year-old man with a body mass index of 42 kg/m² and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is referred for an echocardiogram to evaluate left ventricular function. The sonographer obtains a parasternal long-axis view but the image quality is poor, with the anterior structures obscured by lung artifact.
773 words, about 4 min