Echocardiography Curriculum

The East Carolina Heart Institute Echocardiography laboratories have a strong commitment to fellow education in basic and advanced cardiac imaging. There are weekly CME echo lectures given throughout the year. Facilities include state-of-the-art echocardiographic laboratories – an outpatient center (East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU) and inpatient center (east Carolina Heart Institute at ECU Health Medical Center). There are at least 12 rooms for cardiac ultrasound examinations, stress testing, transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE) and reading/interpretation. The laboratories are equipped with 15 top of the line echocardiographic systems and staffed with 15 full time registered cardiac sonographers, and 4 registered nurses, dedicated to clinical echocardiography. The laboratories are nationally accredited through the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL).

Fellows are exposed to a full array of procedures performed in the Echocardiography Laboratory which include 2-D and 3-D transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), stress echocardiogram, and transesophageal echo (2D and 3D TEE). The TTE procedural volume averages about 20,000 TTE studies and 2500 TEE studies with the volume expanding every year. Staff also provides echocardiographic guidance during complex interventions in the cardiac catheterization and cardiac electrophysiology laboratories (interventional echocardiography). The Echocardiography Laboratory also offers strain imaging, contrast studies and optimization for left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and provides support for clinical trials in echocardiography. Expertly and fully staffed, the echo core lab provides strict quality assurance, fast turnaround times, and high-quality image storage.

COCATS 4 Task Force 11: Training in Cardiac Electrophysiology (PDF)

Echocardiography Faculty