Echocardiography reporting in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Delphi consensus study.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a complex clinical syndrome in which signs and symptoms of heart failure (HF) occur despite a normal left ventricular ejection fraction. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the first-line imaging modality but disparities in patient pathways across the UK can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. We aimed to develop and validate a consistent, clinically appropriate and practical approach for reporting the echocardiographic suspicion of HFpEF.

Changes in coronary disease management decisions in real-world practice between 2015 and 2023: insights from the EVAREST/BSE-NSTEP observational study.

Aims: To assess the real-world impact of updated clinical guidelines and literature on the management of patients undergoing stress echocardiography for the assessment of inducible ischaemia across a national health service.

Methods And Results: A total of 13 819 patients from 32 UK hospitals, referred for stress echocardiography between 2015 and 2023, were analysed across two phases: phase 1 (2015-2020) and phase 2 (2020-2023). Follow-up data for 1 year was available for 4920 participants through NHS Digital.

Echocardiography in the cardiac assessment of young athletes: a 2025 guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography (endorsed by Cardiac Risk in the Young).

Sudden cardiac death in a young physically active individual or athlete is a rare but tragic event. Pre-participation screening and follow-up investigations are utilised to reduce the risk and occurrence of these events. Echocardiography plays a key role in the cardiac diagnostic pathway and aims to identify underlying inherited or congenital structural cardiac conditions.

Contrast echocardiography: a practical guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) have a well-established role in clinical cardiology. Contrast echocardiography has evolved into a routine technique through the establishment of contrast protocols, an excellent safety profile, and clinical guidelines which highlight the incremental prognostic utility of contrast enhanced echocardiography. This document aims to provide practical guidance on the safe and effective use of contrast; reviews the role of individual staff groups; and training requirements to facilitate its routine use in the echocardiography laboratory.

The athlete's heart: insights from echocardiography.

The manifestations of the athlete's heart can create diagnostic challenges during an echocardiographic assessment. The classifications of the morphological and functional changes induced by sport participation are often beyond 'normal limits' making it imperative to identify any overlap between pathology and normal physiology. The phenotype of the athlete's heart is not exclusive to one chamber or function.

British Society of Echocardiography guideline for the transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of cardiac amyloidosis.

These guidelines form an update of the BSE guideline protocol for the assessment of restrictive cardiomyopathy (Knight et al. in Echo Res Prac, 2013). Since the original recommendations were conceived in 2013, there has been an exponential rise in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis fuelled by increased clinician awareness, improvements in cardiovascular imaging as well as the availability of new and effective disease modifying therapies.

BSE and BCOS Guideline for Transthoracic Echocardiographic Assessment of Adult Cancer Patients Receiving Anthracyclines and/or Trastuzumab.

The subspecialty of cardio-oncology aims to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer or following cancer treatment. Cancer therapy can lead to a variety of cardiovascular complications, including left ventricular systolic dysfunction, pericardial disease, and valvular heart disease. Echocardiography is a key diagnostic imaging tool in the diagnosis and surveillance for many of these complications.

British Society for Echocardiography and British Cardio-Oncology Society guideline for transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of adult cancer patients receiving anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab.

The subspecialty of cardio-oncology aims to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer or following cancer treatment. Cancer therapy can lead to a variety of cardiovascular complications, including left ventricular systolic dysfunction, pericardial disease, and valvular heart disease. Echocardiography is a key diagnostic imaging tool in the diagnosis and surveillance for many of these complications.

The assessment of mitral valve disease: a guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Mitral valve disease is common. Mitral regurgitation is the second most frequent indication for valve surgery in Europe and despite the decline of rheumatic fever in Western societies, mitral stenosis of any aetiology is a regular finding in all echo departments. Mitral valve disease is, therefore, one of the most common pathologies encountered by echocardiographers, as both a primary indication for echocardiography and a secondary finding when investigating other cardiovascular disease processes.

Impact of COVID-19 on UK stress echocardiography practice: insights from the EVAREST sites.

Introduction: Healthcare delivery is being transformed by COVID-19 to reduce transmission risk but continued delivery of routine clinical tests is essential. Stress echocardiography is one of the most widely used cardiac tests in the NHS. We assessed the impact of the first (W1) and second (W2) waves of the pandemic on the ability to deliver stress echocardiography.

Echocardiographic assessment of aortic stenosis: a practical guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

The guideline provides a practical step-by-step guide in order to facilitate high-quality echocardiographic studies of patients with aortic stenosis. In addition, it addresses commonly encountered yet challenging clinical scenarios and covers the use of advanced echocardiographic techniques, including TOE and Dobutamine stress echocardiography in the assessment of aortic stenosis.

Transthoracic echocardiography of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in adults: a practical guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is common, inherited and characterised by unexplained thickening of the myocardium. The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) has recently published a minimum dataset for transthoracic echocardiography detailing the core views needed for a standard echocardiogram. For patients with confirmed or suspected HCM, additional views and measurements are necessary.

Adapting the role of handheld echocardiography during the COVID-19 pandemic: A practical guide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered our approach to inpatient echocardiography delivery. There is now a greater focus to address key clinical questions likely to make an immediate impact in management, particularly during the period of widespread infection. Handheld echocardiography (HHE) can be used as a first-line assessment tool, limiting scanning time and exposure to high viral load.

Echocardiographic assessment of the tricuspid and pulmonary valves: a practical guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Transthoracic echocardiography is the first-line imaging modality in the assessment of right-sided valve disease. The principle objectives of the echocardiographic study are to determine the aetiology, mechanism and severity of valvular dysfunction, as well as consequences on right heart remodelling and estimations of pulmonary artery pressure. Echocardiographic data must be integrated with symptoms, to inform optimal timing and technique of interventions.

Normal reference intervals for cardiac dimensions and function for use in echocardiographic practice: a guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

The authors and journal apologise for errors in the above paper, which appeared in the March 2020 issue of Echo Research and Practice (volume 7, pages G1–G18, https://doi.org/10.1530/ERP-19-0050).

Echocardiographic assessment of the right heart in adults: a practical guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

The structure and function of the right side of the heart is influenced by a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions. Quantification of right heart parameters is important in a variety of clinical scenarios including diagnosis, prognostication, and monitoring response to therapy. Although echocardiography remains the first-line imaging investigation for right heart assessment, published guidance is relatively sparse in comparison to that for the left ventricle.

Normal reference intervals for cardiac dimensions and function for use in echocardiographic practice: a guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

This guideline presents reference limits for use in echocardiographic practice, updating previous guidance from the British Society of Echocardiography. The rationale for change is discussed, in addition to how the reference intervals were defined and the current limitations to their use. The importance of interpretation of echocardiographic parameters within the clinical context is explored, as is grading of abnormality.