Ultrasound Essentials: TFAST for Assessing Heart Disease 

This lesson will focus on TFAST® Fundamental Echocardiography including image acquisition of the TFAST® Echo Views in the standing position. We will teach the fundamental right-sided and left-sided echo views and how to use them for patient assessment for dogs with chronic valvular disease, dilated cardiomyopathy and pulmonary hypertension and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats. We will also discuss applying the EPIC guidelines from the Cardiac Education Group for management of early chronic valvular disease dogs with pimobendan. We will also discuss imaging the caudal vena cava and lung as fallback views to assess for right sided and left sided heart failure respectively.

After this lesson, participants will understand how to:

1. Acquire the TFAST® fundamental echocardiography views.
2. Interpret information gained from TFAST® fundamental echocardiography to assess for chronic valvular disease, DCM, pulmonary hypertension and HCM in cats.
3. Understand the EPIC Guidelines and how to obtain and interpret the guidelines for management of early chronic valvular disease in dogs.
4. Accurately diagnose pericardial effusion.
5. Weigh the advantages of TFAST® over radiography.
6. Incorporate assessment of the caudal vena cava and lung to assess for right sided and left sided heart failure respectively.