The prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart diseases is very important today in optimizing obstetrical and neonatal care. The incidence of congenital heart diseases is around 8 per 10.000 live births, but the true incidence in the fetus is supposed to be much higher. Ultrasound techniques are the primary diagnostic and monitoring modalities in fetal cardiology. The recent revolutionary advances in ultrasound imaging technology have also allowed a most accurate study of the evolution of congenital heart disease during fetal life. Today, it is well known that, over the course of gestation, altered pressure and flow relationships may result in significant secondary damage to the developing heart, significantly increasing postnatal mortality and morbidity.
There are several indications for fetal echocardiography. The most common are represented by: 1) a positive family history, 2) maternal diabetes mellitus, 3) a suspicion arising during a routine ultrasound examination, 4) fetal arhythmia, 5) LES, 6) detection of an extracardiac congenital anomaly and 7) teratogen exposure. Although high risk populations must be referred to highly specialized centres, very often ultrasound operators are faced every day with the evaluation of normal fetal heart anatomy and today there is a great need to learn how to perform a correct basic level echocardiography.
Fetal echocardiography requires the use of high resolution ultrasound equipment, adequate transducer frequencies and specific system settings that must be changed in real time to reach the best resolution in each patient and in each condition.
Doppler techniques for example can be used to visualize blood flow through the heart, great vessels, and umbilical vessels. Knowledge of complex congenital heart disease before delivery allows therapeutic interventions to begin immediately after birth and can be life saving forsuch patients.
The aim of this course is to give a complete understanding of the ultrasound settings needed to perform good echocardiography.
Moreover, the most important scanning planes of the normal fetal heart (apical four chamber view, subcostal four chamber view, long-axis aorta, long-axis pulmonary artery, short-axis ventricles, aortic arch view) will be shown and explained from a clinical and diagnostic point of view. Some important rules and practical suggestions will be discussed.
The ultrasound exams will be performed on pregnant women between 20 and 26 week of gestation using a transabdominal approach implemented by color/power Doppler velocimetry.
Each course (lectures and practical sessions) is designed to improve the practical skills and interpretation of the operators who perform ultrasound for diagnostic purposes in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, by using latest generation ultrasound equipment. At the end of each course, trainees will be able to perform advanced ultrasound examinations, be well oriented in the choice of the correct ultrasound approach to use in different clinical situations and be able to correctly understand all the different sonographic features which they will have to face in clinical practice.
Attending the conference, participants will acquire:
The learning pathway will take place through the execution of: 1) theoretical learning sessions about interactive ultrasound, 2) practical sessions using the latest generation of technologically advanced ultrasound equipment.
Each exam will be performed by a trainee under the direct supervision of a tutor who is highly experienced in ultrasound. The examinations will be performed on women in different periods of pregnancy and on gynecological patients, by endovaginal and transabdominal approaches, using Bmode, three- and four-dimensional modules, and color / power Doppler velocimetry.
Physicians and other healthcare professionals working in ultrasound
Serono Symposia International Foundation is conducting a Learning Effectiveness Project at meetings during 2012. The meeting 'International School of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology "Paolo Mascagni" Workshop on: Second Trimester normal fetal echocardiography' has been chosen to participate in this project.
Find out more about the Learning Effectiveness Project
Find out more about this meeting by using the tabs above
Paolo Mascagni Second Trimester normal fetal echocardiography
Serono Symposia International Foundation (www.seronosymposia.org)will submit the following CME activity “International School of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology "Paolo Mascagni" - Workshop on: Second trimester normal fetal echocardiography” (Siena, Italy February 24-25, 2012) for accreditation by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME). The EACCME is an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), www.uems.net.