Echocardiography, AAS (EC23) (510910)  Degree

This course is designed to provide tools to assist students to acquire skills necessary to achieve academic and professional success in their chosen occupational/ technical program of study. Topics include: Getting off to a Good Start, Learning and Personality Styles, Time and Money Management, Study and Test Taking Skills, Stress Management and Wellness, Communications Skills, Career Exploration, Research Skills, College Campus Knowledge, Memory & Reading Skills, Presentation & Interview Skills, and Group Skills. Effective Fall 2016, students who already have an Associate Degree or higher will be given exemption credit for the COLL 1500 course.

This course offers an introduction to congenital heart disease with instruction on fetal cardiac embryology, pediatric pathology, age appropriate patient care, corrective surgical procedures. Emphasis is placed on the latest modalities and specialties of a pediatric noninvasive cardiac diagnostic study. Topics include: fetal cardiac embryology; acyanotic lesions; cyanotic lesions; complex congenital heart disease; corrective surgical procedures; Doppler, color flow, and 2D imaging; research methods; syndromes; sedation; and transducer selection.

This course is designed as an introduction into the field of vascular sonography. The general practitioner will be required to perform venous examinations of the lower extremity, arterial studies of the neck, and some Doppler studies within the abdomen. Emphasis is on the functional workings and settings associated with Doppler signals and waveforms. Topics include: machine/image settings for Doppler imaging; venous imaging of the lower extremities; arterial imaging of the neck; and vascular imaging of the abdomen, including aorta and its primary branches, vena cava, portal and hepatic veins, and renal arteries and veins.

Introduces the concepts essential in the performance and interpretation of 12 lead EKG and heart sounds. As a study of the anatomy, physiology, structural relationships, and the pathophysiology of the human heart and vascular system, the course concentrates on specialized terminology, cardiac and vascular anatomy, and electrophysiology. Topics include: heart anatomy, circulatory system, heart electrical system, physical heart defects, electrocardiograph, preparation for various electrocardiographic examinations, physical principles and pathophysiology of heart sounds, exercise physiology, stress testing, Holter monitoring, cardiac pacemakers, and cardiac rehabilitation programs. Laboratory experiences will be provided.

This course introduces the basic principles and applications of the physical assessment and echocardiographic procedures. Discussion of medical law and ethics as it relates to the professional scope of practice. Topics include: basic echocardiographic imaging principles, patient skills and equipment instrumentation, basic Doppler and color principles, medical law and ethics and common terminology and abbreviations.

This course utilizes cardiac sonography fundamentals to evaluate cardiac anatomy, function and hemodynamics in diagnosing coronary artery heart disease. Incorporates all forms of noninvasive cardiovascular evaluation with emphasis on performance and interpretation of M-mode, 2-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography. Emphasis will be placed on obtaining quality echocardiograms, and laboratory experience will demonstrate the application of theoretical principles and concepts. Topics include: ventricular function, coronary artery disease, Stress Echocardiography, Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE), 3-D/4-D Echocardiography, Contrast Echocardiography and advanced techniques/procedures.

Provides hands-on experience in performing noninvasive cardiovascular procedures with emphasis on instrumentation and development of clinical techniques. Topics include: policies and procedures, echocardiographic instrumentation, recording patient information, patient preparation, and performing echocardiographic examinations. Students enrolled in this course will be assessed a $203 cost recovery course fee in addition to tuition and fees. Fees are subject to change at the end of any semester.

Sonographers apply principles of ultrasound in the operation of medical sonographic equipment to produce a sonogram. Knowledge of the interaction of ultrasound with tissue is important for image optimization, acquisition and interpretation of sonographic images, and critical to the accurate diagnosis of disease. Introduces concepts for the factors involved with diagnostic ultrasound principles and instruments. Emphasis will be placed on ultrasound physics, transducer construction, operation and characteristics, artifacts and adjustable physics parameters. Topics include: basic principles and wave analysis; propagation of acoustic waves through tissues; principles of pulse echo imaging; sonographic transducers and sound beams; hemodynamic and Doppler imaging; sonographic instrumentation; artifacts; quality assurance/quality control of sonographic instruments; bio effects and safety. Student laboratory scanning hours are included in this course.

Provides a review of knowledge from previous courses and helps the student prepare for national certification examinations for sonography. Information concerning test taking skills will also be reviewed. Topics include: patient care, safety and communication; physics principles, ultrasound transducers, pulse-echo instrumentation, Doppler instrumentation; and quality assurance/quality control of equipment.

This course utilizes fundamentals to evaluate cardiac function and acquired disease states. Incorporates all forms of noninvasive cardiovascular evaluation with emphasis on performance and interpretation of M-mode, 2-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography. Emphasis will be placed on obtaining quality echocardiograms, and laboratory experience will demonstrate the application of theoretical principles and concepts. Topics include: valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathies, systemic and pulmonary hypertensive heart disease, pericardial diseases, systemic disease, cardiac transplantation, cardiac tumors/masses, diseases of the aorta, pericardial diseases, and miscellaneous topics.

Provides hands-on experience in the clinical setting with an emphasis placed on the development of clinical techniques employed to obtain meaningful data. Continued participation by the student will progressively lead to the student performing diagnostic procedures with less assistance but under the supervision of an appropriately credentialed sonographer. Topics include: echocardiographic instrumentation, logging and reporting information, preparation for echocardiographic examinations, medical ethics, and performing echocardiographic procedures. Students may do a brief rotation through an invasive cardiology lab, pediatric lab and/or vascular lab.

This course builds on the knowledge and skills learned in Clinical Echo 3. By the end of this rotation, the student will perform all echocardiography procedures independently with the supervision of an appropriately credentialed sonographer. This course provides a culminating clinical setting experience which allows students to synthesize information and procedural instruction provided throughout the program. Emphasis is placed on skill level improvements and final completion of all required clinical competencies presented in previous courses and practiced in previous clinical vascular courses. Topics include: scanning, documentation of pathologies, patient and equipment skills, current literature, professionalism, and ethical behavior.

This course will be an overall review of Echocardiography to include demonstration of normal and abnormal cardiac anatomy, cardiac physiology, pathophysiology and hemodynamics/physics in the different types of cardiac disease/dysfunctions. Also included will be a review of clinical non-invasive cardiac diagnostic procedures, laboratory values, pharmacology and test validation and measurements. Emphasis is placed on reviewing information so that the student will successfully pass the ARMDS and/or CCI certification examinations. Topics include: normal and abnormal cardiac anatomy, techniques, pathology, physics/hemodynamics, test validation and measurements, and laboratory values.