<s>
A	O
transthoracic	B-Algorithm
echocardiogram	I-Algorithm
(	O
TTE	O
)	O
is	O
the	O
most	O
common	O
type	O
of	O
echocardiogram	B-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
still	O
or	O
moving	O
image	O
of	O
the	O
internal	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
heart	O
using	O
ultrasound	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
case	O
,	O
the	O
probe	O
(	O
or	O
ultrasonic	B-Algorithm
transducer	I-Algorithm
)	O
is	O
placed	O
on	O
the	O
chest	O
or	O
abdomen	O
of	O
the	O
subject	O
to	O
get	O
various	O
views	O
of	O
the	O
heart	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Often	O
abbreviated	O
"	O
TTE	O
"	O
,	O
it	O
can	O
be	O
easily	O
confused	O
with	O
transesophageal	B-Algorithm
echocardiography	I-Algorithm
which	O
is	O
abbreviated	O
"	O
TEE	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
advanced	O
measurements	O
of	O
the	O
movement	O
of	O
the	O
tissue	O
with	O
time	O
(	O
Tissue	O
Doppler	O
)	O
,	O
it	O
can	O
measure	O
diastolic	O
function	O
,	O
fluid	O
status	O
,	O
and	O
ventricular	B-Algorithm
dyssynchrony	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Transesophageal	B-Algorithm
echocardiography	I-Algorithm
may	O
be	O
more	O
accurate	O
than	O
TTE	O
because	O
it	O
excludes	O
the	O
variables	O
previously	O
mentioned	O
and	O
allows	O
closer	O
visualization	O
of	O
common	O
sites	O
for	O
vegetations	O
and	O
other	O
abnormalities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Transesophageal	B-Algorithm
Echocardiography	I-Algorithm
also	O
affords	O
better	O
visualization	O
of	O
prosthetic	O
heart	O
valves	O
and	O
clots	O
within	O
the	O
four	O
chambers	O
of	O
the	O
heart	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
type	O
of	O
Echocardiogram	B-Application
may	O
be	O
a	O
better	O
option	O
for	O
patients	O
with	O
thick	O
chests	O
,	O
abnormal	O
chest	O
walls	O
,	O
chronic	O
obstructive	O
pulmonary	O
disease	O
and	O
the	O
obese	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Bubble	O
contrast	O
TTE	O
"	O
involves	O
the	O
injection	O
of	O
agitated	O
saline	O
into	O
a	O
vein	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
an	O
Echocardiographic	B-Application
study	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
Transthoracic	B-Algorithm
Echocardiogram	I-Algorithm
,	O
n.d.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
some	O
risks	O
associated	O
when	O
having	O
an	O
echocardiogram	B-Application
performed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultrasound	B-Application
gel	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
acoustic	O
windows	O
and	O
increase	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
captured	O
images	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
critically	O
ill	O
patients	O
often	O
have	O
"	O
bedside	O
ultrasounds	B-Application
"	O
performed	O
to	O
assess	O
particular	O
questions	O
the	O
treating	O
team	O
has	O
about	O
their	O
status	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interpretation	O
of	O
the	O
exam	O
can	O
be	O
done	O
by	O
anyone	O
trained	O
in	O
reading	O
echocardiograms	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Anyone	O
performing	O
a	O
bedside	O
or	O
"	O
point	O
of	O
care	O
"	O
echocardiogram	B-Application
is	O
expected	O
to	O
interpret	O
their	O
own	O
study	O
as	O
it	O
is	O
performed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Notably	O
,	O
it	O
must	O
be	O
used	O
through	O
the	O
skin	O
,	O
and	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
must	O
go	O
through	O
skin	O
and	O
soft	O
tissue	O
before	O
reaching	O
the	O
heart	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
kinds	O
of	O
echocardiography	B-Application
,	O
TTE	O
is	O
limited	O
to	O
structure	O
and	O
function	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
two-dimensional	O
plane	O
is	O
formed	O
by	O
sweeping	O
the	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
to	O
obtain	O
an	O
image	O
that	O
varies	O
with	O
angle	O
and	O
depth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
images	O
obtained	O
with	O
echocardiography	B-Application
are	O
in	O
reference	O
to	O
the	O
heart	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Evaluation	O
of	O
the	O
heart	O
with	O
echocardiography	B-Application
requires	O
having	O
"	O
acoustic	O
windows	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
heart	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bone	O
reflects	O
the	O
ultrasound	B-Application
waves	O
and	O
so	O
all	O
structures	O
directly	O
behind	O
bone	O
are	O
not	O
visible	O
with	O
ultrasound	B-Application
.	O
</s>
