Last Updated on January 7, 2025 by Analgesia team
Echo Medical Abbreviation
Echo is a medical abbreviation for echocardiogram, which is a noninvasive ultrasound scan that produces images of the heart and nearby blood vessels:
- How it works
A technician places a handheld device called a transducer on the chest and upper abdomen, and it sends out high-frequency sound waves toward the heart. The transducer picks up the echoes and converts them into electrical impulses, which are then turned into moving pictures by an echocardiography machine.
- What it shows
The images can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional, and they show the heart’s valves and chambers, as well as the motion of blood through the heart. This scan test can show blood flow through the heart and heart valves. Your healthcare professional can use the pictures from the test to find heart disease and other heart conditions.
- Who performs it
A specially trained technician called a sonographer performs the test, and a cardiologist interprets the results.
- Benefits of Echocardiogram
Echocardiograms are noninvasive, meaning they don’t pierce the skin, and they don’t use radiation.
ECHO AND ECG
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and an echocardiogram (echo) are both important diagnostic tests that evaluate the heart’s function:
- ECG
Records the heart’s electrical activity, which is a measure of how well the heart is functioning. An ECG produces a graph that shows the heart’s rhythm and rate. It’s a quick and simple test that can detect irregularities like arrhythmias.
- Echo
Uses sound waves to create moving pictures of the heart, showing its structure, function, and blood flow. An echo can assess the heart’s pumping efficiency, valve condition, and the thickness of the heart muscle. It can also reveal abnormalities like tumors or fluid accumulation. An echo is more comprehensive and detailed than an ECG and is typically performed in a specialized laboratory or imaging center.
An echo may be necessary even if an ECG is normal. However, neither an ECG nor an echo can rule out blockages unless a heart attack has already occurred