RDCS Pediatric study plan

Explain ultrasound wave production, propagation, and tissue interaction (reflection, scattering, refraction, attenuation) and predict how each affects pediatric image quality.

Select appropriate transducer frequency and footprint for neonatal, infant, child, and adolescent acoustic windows, and justify each choice.

Calculate PRF, Nyquist limit, and aliasing thresholds, and decide when to use pulsed-wave, continuous-wave, or color Doppler for high-velocity jets.

Manipulate machine controls (2D gain, TGC, compression, depth, frame rate, harmonics, wall filters) and predict the effect of each on image resolution and measurement accuracy.

State ALARA principles, thermal and mechanical index limits, and list concrete steps to lower acoustic output while keeping images diagnostic.

Describe embryologic formation of the atrial and ventricular septa, outflow tract septation, and aortic arch derivatives, and link each step to a named congenital defect.

Identify normal 2D landmarks in the subcostal, apical, parasternal, and suprasternal windows and name every structure visualized.

Record normal pediatric spectral Doppler patterns and velocity ranges for mitral, tricuspid, aortic, and pulmonary inflow/outflow, including neonatal ductal and foramen ovale flow.

Explain the fetal-to-neonatal circulatory transition (ductus arteriosus, foramen ovale, pulmonary vascular resistance) and the expected echocardiographic appearance at each stage.

Recognize reverberation, shadowing, side-lobe, and range-ambiguity artifacts and state the specific corrective maneuver for each.

Classify atrial and ventricular septal defects by location and name the views that best demonstrate each type.

Quantify shunt severity using defect size indexed to body surface area and a step-by-step Qp/Qs calculation from Doppler and 2D data.

Detect indirect signs of a left-to-right shunt, including chamber enlargement, septal flattening, and pulmonary artery dilation.

Identify patent ductus arteriosus and aortopulmonary window in suprasternal and high parasternal views and distinguish the two.

Predict the hemodynamic consequence and typical intervention trigger for each shunt lesion.

Differentiate valvar, subvalvar, and supravalvular aortic stenosis by 2D appearance and Doppler profile, and calculate peak and mean gradients.

Evaluate pulmonary stenosis and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, including dysplastic valves and branch pulmonary artery stenosis.

Identify coarctation of the aorta in suprasternal and subcostal views and describe the Doppler pattern of diastolic runoff.

Recognize a bicuspid aortic valve and describe its associated complications and surveillance measurements.

Apply the simplified Bernoulli equation and explain its limitations in serial obstructions, high-flow states, and low-gradient disease.

Describe the echo hallmarks of tetralogy of Fallot and relate the degree of right ventricular outflow obstruction to the patient's physiology.

Distinguish d-transposition, l-transposition, and double-outlet right ventricle using great-artery relationships and ventricular morphology.

Identify total anomalous pulmonary venous connection and differentiate cardiac, supracardiac, and infracardiac types by site of obstruction.

Recognize ductal-dependent lesions such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, critical coarctation, and pulmonary atresia, and explain the role of the ductus and atrial septum.

Outline the stages of single-ventricle palliation (Norwood, Glenn, Fontan) and state the echocardiographic findings expected at each stage.

Measure ejection fraction, fractional shortening, MAPSE, and TAPSE and interpret them against pediatric normal values and z-scores.

Apply tissue Doppler and pulsed Doppler indices of systolic and diastolic function (E/A, e', E/e', myocardial performance index) and explain age-related normal shifts.

Differentiate hypertrophic, dilated, and restrictive cardiomyopathy by echocardiography and recognize left ventricular noncompaction.

Describe coronary artery assessment in Kawasaki disease and classify dilation and aneurysm using body-surface-area-adjusted z-scores.

Recognize the echocardiographic patterns of myocarditis and anthracycline cardiotoxicity and name the serial measurements used to track them.

Identify the echo features of rheumatic mitral disease, infective endocarditis, and pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology in children.

Execute a complete pediatric echocardiographic protocol, stating required views, the full measurement set, and documentation standards.

Adapt image acquisition and communication to patient factors including age, cooperation, sedation, infection control, and family involvement.

Assess expected post-operative findings after septal defect repair, tetralogy of Fallot repair, and Fontan completion, including residual shunt and baffle evaluation.

Recognize post-operative complications such as residual shunts, conduit or baffle obstruction, ventricular dysfunction, and pericardial effusion.

Complete two full-length timed practice examinations of at least 100 questions each under exam conditions.

Map every missed item to its domain and close each gap with targeted reading and re-quizzing.

Recite the key equations, normal pediatric values, and z-score sources from memory without reference material.

Rehearse rapid lesion-to-view mapping across all major congenital categories until recall is automatic.