Archives for February 2024

This month, ASE published two new guidelines offering updated recommendations on pediatric and neonatal echocardiography, replacing earlier guidelines published by Society. Below the Chair of each guideline shares the importance of the new documents. Visit ASE’s website to read the full news release distributed earlier this week.

The Guidelines for Performing a Comprehensive Pediatric Transthoracic Echocardiogram: Recommendations From ASE writing group Chair Leo Lopez, MD, FASE, says, “In the past decade, the care of children with heart disease has evolved due to improvements in scientific knowledge and technology. Echocardiography has played a major role in this evolution, due to its increasing ability to provide more accurate information related to cardiac anatomy, hemodynamics, and function. The guideline helps organize the capabilities of echocardiography so that it can be used in a rational and logical way when caring for pediatric patients.”

The Guidelines and Recommendations for Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography and Cardiac Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Update from ASE writing group Chair Patrick McNamara, MD, FASE, says, “Close collaboration with pediatric echocardiography laboratories and the support of thought leaders in the field have resulted in the success of TNE and the establishment of neonatal hemodynamics programs.”

The February issue of JASE includes, “Guidelines and Recommendations for Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography and Cardiac Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Update from the American Society of Echocardiography.” Author Patrick J. McNamara, MD, FASE, remarks, “There are several modifications to the 2011 guidelines, which will enhance their generalizability across the world and support high quality Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography (TNE)-based neonatal hemodynamic care including increased flexibility around the required time in a pediatric echo lab, expanding the scope of TNE to include both symptom (e.g., hypotension, hypoxemia) and disease-based indications (e.g., hypoxemic ischemic encephalopathy, patent ductus arteriosus), recommending that a neonatologist with advanced TNE training may perform standard TNE as the first study in a patient with low index of suspicion of CHD to enable more timely access, and clarifying the scope of cardiac point-of-care ultrasound (cPOCUS) vs TNE. One of the crucial elements of the success of TNE and the establishment of Neonatal Hemodynamics programs has been the close collaboration with pediatric echo labs. We anticipate that the updated guidelines will enable more institutions to establish either TNE or cPOCUS programs, foster hypothesis generating and testing TNE-based research, and aid the establishment of new collaborations between neonatologists with a hemodynamic focus and pediatric cardiologists interested in non-CHD neonatology disease.”

Readers can look forward to a second guideline on performing a comprehensive pediatric TTE, as well as a state-of-the-art review on the role of speckle-tracking echo in predicting mortality and morbidity in patients with congenital heart disease. This issue includes an imaging strategies paper on the use of 3D intracardiac echo during transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement, featuring the authors’ experience in patients with congenital heart disease who underwent this procedure. Additionally, three clinical investigations tackle echocardiographic assessment of LV function in extremely preterm infants, echocardiographic assessment of LV function after neonatal intervention for tricuspid valve dysplasia, and exploratory modeling of mitral annulus dynamics by 3D echo in children. Two editorials accompany these reports, and one letter to the editor on the educational framework for trainees in neonatal hemodynamics concludes this issue.

Dr. Pellikka’s editorial recaps all the content of this issue with its focus on pediatric, neonatal, and congenital heart disease echo. Dr. Eidem’s President’s Message highlights the diverse range of educational activities ASE offers – from the robust Learning Hub catalog to the live course options – there is something for everyone in pursuit of furthering their echo knowledge. Please see the February ASE Education Calendar for a listing of educational opportunities far and wide.

ASE’s 36th Annual State-of-the-Art Echocardiography (SOTA) starts in just over two weeks, but there is still time to register! Registration will also be offered on-site, but attendees who register before February 15, can save $125. The live, in-person course features first-rate cardiologists and sonographers presenting a broad range of echo-related topics to enhance your clinical practice. Join us in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, February 16-19, 2024, at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa.

ASE is proud to support the cardiovascular ultrasound community through recognition of outstanding service, research, and training. We are happy to announce and congratulate the ASE 2024 Award Winners! These recipients will be recognized during the 35th Annual ASE Scientific Sessions in Portland, Oregon, June 14-16, 2024. These awards are peer-reviewed and were selected by the Awards Committee, chaired by Sherif Nagueh, MD, FASE.

PHYSICIAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Nancy Ayres, MD, FACC, FASE

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD

Leo Lopez, MD, FASE

Stanford Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, California

MENTORSHIP AWARD

Roberto Lang, MD, FASE

University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

SONOGRAPHER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Bonita Anderson, M.APPL.S, DMU(Cardiac), AMS, ACS, FASE, FASA

The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

FOUNDERS’ AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY FOR PCHD

Tal Geva, MD, FASE

Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PERIOPERATIVE ECHOARDIOGRAPHY AWARD

Feroze Mahmood, MD, FASE

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts



CIRCULATION & VASCULAR ULTRASOUND COUNCIL LUMINARY AWARD

Robert Eberhardt, MD, FASE

Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts

February is American Heart Month and ASE has released two new guidelines:

• Guidelines for Performing a Comprehensive Pediatric Transthoracic Echocardiogram: Recommendations From the American Society of Echocardiography
• Guidelines and Recommendations for Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography and Cardiac Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Update from the American Society of Echocardiography

Read the two new guidelines on our Guidelines web page.