RCCS study guide
RCCS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Registered Congenital Cardiac Sonographer (RCCS) is a credential administered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), the body that lists the RCCS alongside its sonography, electrophysiology, invasive, vascular, and rhythm-analysis credentials. The designation is aimed at sonographers who perform echocardiography in congenital heart disease, where fetal, pediatric, and adult congenital anatomy, physiology, and surgical palliation differ substantially from acquired adult disease. The RCCS study guide has 5 sections and about 1,493 words.
01Normal Fetal and Pediatric Cardiac Anatomy and Physiology
Fetal circulation depends on three shunts: the ductus venosus, the foramen ovale, and the ductus arteriosus. Oxygenated umbilical venous blood travels through the ductus venosus into the inferior vena cava and is preferentially streamed across the foramen ovale into the left atrium, left ventricle, and ascending aorta, supplying the brain.
306 words, about 2 min02Congenital Heart Disease Pathophysiology and Lesion Classification
Congenital heart lesions are usually grouped by physiology: left-to-right shunt lesions (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus), obstructive lesions (coarctation, aortic stenosis, pulmonary stenosis), cyanotic lesions with decreased pulmonary blood flow (tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, tricuspid atresia), cyanotic lesions with increased pulmonary blood flow or mixing (transposition of the great arteries, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, truncus arteriosus, single ventricle), and complex lesions with ductal-dependent circulation. Shunt magnitude depends on defect size and the relative resistance of the systemic and pulmonary beds.
295 words, about 1 min03Echocardiographic Imaging Techniques and Instrumentation
Transducer selection balances penetration and resolution. Neonates and infants tolerate higher-frequency probes, often 7–12 MHz, while older children and adults require lower frequencies.
329 words, about 2 min04Assessment of Shunts, Valves, Ventricles, and Great Vessels
Two-dimensional imaging and color Doppler localize a shunt, but quantification requires flow data. The pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) can be calculated from the right and left ventricular outflow tract areas and velocity-time integrals.
301 words, about 2 min05Surgical and Interventional Palliation, Patient Care, and Safety
Staged single-ventricle palliation typically begins with the Norwood operation, which creates a neo-aorta, performs an atrial septectomy, and provides pulmonary blood flow through a Blalock-Taussig shunt or a right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit (Sano). The superior cavopulmonary connection (Glenn) follows at about 3–6 months, and the Fontan completion at about 2–4 years.
262 words, about 1 min