CCVTC key terms

The percentage of blood in the left ventricle that is pumped out with each heartbeat, calculated as end-diastolic volume minus end-systolic volume divided by end-diastolic volume.

The total amount of blood inside a ventricle at its most relaxed and fullest point, just before contraction begins.

The volume of blood ejected from one ventricle during a single contraction, equal to end-diastolic volume minus end-systolic volume.

The volume of blood the heart pumps per minute, calculated by multiplying stroke volume by heart rate.

The repeating sequence of relaxation and contraction that moves blood through the heart, consisting of diastole followed by systole.

The phase of the cardiac cycle when the ventricles contract and force blood into the aorta and pulmonary artery.

The phase of the cardiac cycle when the ventricles relax and fill with blood from the atria.

The principle that stretching cardiac muscle fibers with more filling volume increases the force of the next contraction, within physiologic limits.

The degree of stretch on ventricular muscle at the end of filling, often estimated by ventricular chamber size or filling pressures.

The resistance the ventricle must overcome to eject blood, influenced mainly by arterial pressure and outflow tract resistance.

Muscular projections inside the ventricles that attach to the mitral and tricuspid valve leaflets via chordae tendineae and prevent leaflet prolapse during systole.

Fibrous cords connecting the atrioventricular valve leaflets to the papillary muscles, helping hold the valves closed during ventricular contraction.

The three-leaflet semilunar valve between the left ventricle and the aorta that opens during systole and closes during diastole.

The two-leaflet atrioventricular valve between the left atrium and left ventricle that prevents backflow during ventricular contraction.

The three-leaflet atrioventricular valve between the right atrium and right ventricle that prevents backflow during ventricular contraction.

The channel just below the aortic valve through which blood leaves the left ventricle; its diameter is measured to calculate stroke volume by Doppler.

A venous channel on the posterior heart that collects blood from the cardiac veins and empties into the right atrium.

The vessels that arise from the aortic root and supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle, including the left main, left anterior descending, circumflex, and right coronary arteries.

The thick muscular middle layer of the heart wall responsible for generating the force of contraction.

The double-layered sac surrounding the heart, consisting of a fibrous outer layer and a serous inner layer with a small amount of lubricating fluid.

The potential space between the visceral and parietal pleura of the lungs, normally containing only a thin film of fluid.

The dome-shaped muscle separating the chest cavity from the abdomen that drives breathing and serves as an acoustic window for some cardiac views.

The central compartment of the chest between the lungs that contains the heart, great vessels, trachea, and esophagus.

The large vein that returns deoxygenated blood from the upper body to the right atrium.

The large vein that returns deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the right atrium; its size and collapsibility help estimate right atrial pressure.

The property of certain crystals that change shape when an electrical voltage is applied, producing the sound waves used in ultrasound transducers.

The number of sound wave cycles per second, measured in hertz; higher frequencies improve resolution but reduce penetration depth.

The distance between consecutive peaks of a sound wave; shorter wavelengths allow finer image detail.

The ability to distinguish two structures lying along the path of the sound beam; it improves as frequency and damping increase.

The ability to distinguish two structures side by side at the same depth, determined mainly by beam width and focus.

The region of the ultrasound beam where it is narrowest and image resolution is best; the focus should be set at the depth of interest.

The handheld device that converts electrical energy into ultrasound pulses and back into electrical signals for image formation.

A technique that uses the higher-frequency echoes generated within tissue to improve image clarity and reduce artifact, especially in difficult patients.

The change in frequency of reflected sound when it bounces off moving blood, used to measure flow direction and velocity.

A Doppler mode that transmits and receives sound continuously, allowing measurement of very high velocities without aliasing but without depth discrimination.

A Doppler mode that sends short pulses and listens between them, providing velocity information from a specific depth but limited by aliasing at high velocities.

An artifact in pulsed or color Doppler where velocities exceed the measurable range and appear as reversed or wrapped colors on the display.

The maximum velocity that pulsed or color Doppler can measure without aliasing, equal to half the pulse repetition frequency.

A standard echocardiographic window with the transducer left of the sternum that shows the left ventricle, aortic valve, mitral valve, and posterior wall in long section.

A standard view with the transducer at the cardiac apex showing all four chambers simultaneously, used to assess chamber size, wall motion, and valve function.

A view obtained by rotating the transducer from the long-axis position, showing circular cross-sections of the ventricles and great vessels.

An imaging approach with the transducer below the sternum, useful when lung or chest wall interferes and for viewing the inferior vena cava and pericardium.

A window above the sternum used to image the aortic arch and its branches and to evaluate the descending aorta.

A display that superimposes color on the two-dimensional image to show blood flow direction and velocity, with red typically toward and blue away from the transducer.

Backward flow of blood through a valve that does not close completely, detected by Doppler as a jet extending into the upstream chamber.

Narrowing of a valve or vessel that increases flow velocity and resistance, often assessed by measuring the pressure gradient with Doppler.

The difference in pressure across a narrowed valve, estimated from the peak Doppler velocity using the simplified Bernoulli equation.

An abnormal collection of fluid in the pericardial sac, seen as an echo-free space around the heart.

Compression of the heart by a pericardial effusion that raises pressures and impairs filling, producing chamber collapse and low cardiac output.

An abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, appearing as an echo-free area above the diaphragm on chest ultrasound.

A condition of unexplained myocardial thickening, often asymmetric in the septum, that can obstruct outflow and impair relaxation.

A disorder in which the ventricles enlarge and contract poorly, lowering ejection fraction and predisposing to heart failure.

A tear in the inner lining of the aorta that lets blood track within the vessel wall, creating a true and false lumen.

The process of explaining a procedure's purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives so the patient can voluntarily agree to proceed.

The ethical and legal duty to protect a patient's health information from unauthorized disclosure.

The range of duties and responsibilities a sonographer is legally and professionally permitted to perform, often defined by credentialing and employer policy.

The practice of keeping patient and operator exposure to ultrasound energy as low as reasonably achievable while obtaining the needed diagnostic information.

An on-screen estimate of the potential for tissue heating from absorbed ultrasound energy, used to monitor safety during scanning.

An on-screen estimate of the potential for cavitation or mechanical bioeffects from ultrasound, related to peak negative pressure and frequency.